Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 November 2025
363. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will provide an update on funding allocations to the CLÁR and LEADER programmes in 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66505/25]
View answerMy Department's CLÁR programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas as follows:
• Measure 1 supports the development of community facilities and amenities.
• Measure 2 provides support for the provision of vehicles to transport people with mobility issues or for cancer treatment, for community first responders, and for meals on wheels.
• Measure 3 aims to support communities on our offshore islands in line with the Department’s policy for the development of our inhabited offshore islands, ‘Our Living Islands’.
I have attached a table outlining CLÁR funding allocations under each measure in 2024 and 2025. I was delighted to announce funding of over €1.7 million earlier this year under measure 2 of the 2025 programme. The successful projects under measures 1 & 3 will be announced in the coming weeks.
The LEADER programme is a multi-annual funding programme that is co-financed by the European Commission under the Common Agricultural Policy or CAP. The current LEADER programme is operational across the country, with total funding of €180 million allocated across Local Action Groups at the start of the programming period to cover the period from 2023 to 2027.
LEADER funding is allocated to LAGs at the beginning of each LEADER programme to provide them with greater flexibility in selecting and approving projects which will have a meaningful impact in their areas. As LEADER is a multi-annual fund, a table of annual allocations is not available.
|
2024 CLÁR |
Number of Projects |
Amount |
|
Total M1 Projects |
264 |
€11,438,853 |
|
Total M2 Projects |
49 |
€2,150,767 |
|
Total M3 Projects |
10 |
€383,216 |
|
Total |
323 |
€13,972,836 |
|
2025 CLÁR |
Number of Projects |
Amount |
|
Total M1 Projects |
TBC |
TBC |
|
Total M2 Projects |
32 |
€1,719,051 |
|
Total M3 Projects |
TBC |
TBC |
|
Total |
32 |
€1,719,051 |
