Review of Galway CLÁR map underway over ‘unfair’ funding eligibility boundaries
A ministerial response has been issued following a request to redraw the boundaries that determine CLÁR funding eligibility in County Galway.
At the November plenary meeting of Galway County Council, Cllr Geraldine Donohue put forward a motion calling on the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Dara Calleary, to include the entirety of County Galway in CLÁR funding eligibility.
The motion highlighted the need for greater attention to areas not reflected on the eligibility map submitted with the request, despite those areas having significant youth-related needs.
The map submitted alongside the motion shows major town centres within Galway’s municipal districts as ineligible for funding, including rural villages located in surrounding areas.
Independent Cllr Donohue described the current map as “very unfair” as she added: “CLÁR funding is crucial for rural areas.
“It provides targeted investment for small infrastructure projects, helping to build community resilience, and making rural areas more inviting places to live, work and visit.”
In response, Minister Calleary said the Government is committed “to carry out a comprehensive review of the eligible CLÁR areas.” He stated that a statistical review has already been completed and that the results are currently being examined to determine whether future changes are required.
If changes are deemed necessary, the minister said it will be “implemented before the next iteration of the scheme launch next year.”
The CLÁR scheme was established in 2001 and closed to applications in 2009. It reopened in 2016 and has since provided annual funding, alongside local authority contributions, to support small-scale infrastructure projects in rural areas and villages.
Funding is distributed across three initiatives, known as measures, which determine how allocations are made. This year’s allocation to County Galway amounts to more than €630,000, with approximately €200,000 earmarked for Galway’s coastal islands.