The CLÁR programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas.
The designation of CLÁR areas has taken place across three principal allocation phases. The initial allocation 2001 was based population change between 1926 and 1996 and focused on areas that had experienced very high levels of long-term depopulation, typically in the order of a 50 per cent population decline. This process resulted in the designation of 701 electoral divisions (EDs) across eighteen counties.
A subsequent review in 2003, informed by preliminary results from Census 2002, extended CLÁR coverage to include additional EDs that were contiguous with existing CLÁR areas and met similar population decline criteria. This expansion increased the number of designated EDs from 701 to 890.
A further change was introduced in 2005/06, again based on the results from Census 2002, which looked at adding areas with an average population decline of approximately 35 per cent at county level. Following this new allocation process the number of EDs increased from 890 to 1,614 and the CLÁR programme extended into 23 counties – only counties Dublin, Kildare and Wexford were excluded.
The 2025 Programme for Government made a commitment to carry out a comprehensive review of the eligible CLÁR areas. This review has now been completed and an additional 110 electoral divisions have been designated as eligible under the CLÁR programme.
The review was completed by the All-Island Research Observatory in Maynooth University utilising two nationally recognised datasets, based on the results from Census 2022. The Pobal HP Deprivation Index was used to identify areas experiencing socio-economic disadvantage. In parallel, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) Urban and Rural Life in Ireland classification was applied to distinguish areas based on their degree of remoteness and relative exposure to urban influence, with particular emphasis on geographical areas identified as being 'highly rural and remote'.
The review considered those EDs that were not currently designated for CLÁR. Only EDs with evidence of local areas classified as disadvantaged, very disadvantaged or extremely disadvantaged under the Pobal HP Deprivation Index were considered eligible. Similarly, within the CSO Urban and Rural Life in Ireland classification, only EDs with evidence of local areas classified as being highly rural/remote were included in the selection process. EDs were required to meet both criteria in order to be included. This review brought the total population in the CLÁR area to over one million.
Full details are available in the report available at this link
assets.gov.ie/static/documents/15223a83/CL%C3%81R_Programme_Expansion_-_Report_AIRO_20022026.pdf .
