Minister Calleary launches the CLÁR 2025 programme
- Published on: 4 April 2025
- Last updated on: 8 April 2025
- €11 million available to further build resilience of rural communities
- focus on community facilities and amenities
- continued support for vehicles for first responders, meals on wheels and cancer care transport
- targeted support for island communities and extra funding for Gaeltacht areas
Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary has today (Friday 4 April) opened the 2025 CLÁR programme for applications. The budget for this year’s programme has increased to €11 million.
Under the initiative, funding will be provided across three measures:
1. Development of community facilities and amenities including sports facilities, youth clubs, teenage spaces, playgrounds, sensory gardens, walking tracks and much more.
2. Support for community transport such as cancer care support, community first responders, meals on wheels vehicles, or for persons with reduced mobility.
3. Tailored funding for our offshore island communities under the specific ‘Our Living Islands’ measure.
The level of funding for community facilities and amenities has increased from €50,000 to €65,000, with a new option this year for local authorities to apply for funding of up to €100,000 for 2 larger scale projects.
To further support Gaeltacht areas, local authorities will be permitted to submit one extra application this year in respect of a community facility in a Gaeltacht area.
Announcing the details of the programme today, Minister Calleary said:
“The CLÁR Programme has for many years provided funding to develop and support our rural communities making them more resilient, and more inviting places to live, work and visit.
“The CLÁR programme continues to adapt to the needs of communities. Having reviewed the eligible measures for this year, I am delighted to increase the overall grant aid per project and to allow for projects of up to €100,000 which will make a real and tangible difference to communities.
“I have also added specific provision for Gaeltacht projects which, alongside our island measure, provides targeted support to these communities.”
Also speaking at the launch, Minister of State for Community Development, Charities and Rural Transport, Jerry Buttimer, said:
“The CLÁR programme has provided over €84 million since it was reintroduced in 2016. Over 2,700 projects have been approved in that timeframe and communities nationwide are enjoying the benefits that the CLÁR programme has brought to their community.
“We have all seen firsthand this year the importance of our community facilities and, under the CLÁR programme, these will be further supported in some of our most rural areas.”
Minister Calleary concluded by saying:
“In line with the Programme for Government commitment, my officials have commenced a review of CLÁR eligibility. I hope to be able to expand the areas eligible under the programme in 2026 having considered the outcome of that review.”
Full details are available on the department’s website.
Notes
CLÁR 2025
The CLÁR (Ceantair Laga Árd-Riachtanais) programme provides funding for small scale projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population.
The scheme was re-opened in 2016 to support the development of remote rural areas through small-scale capital projects involving collaboration between local authorities (LAs) and communities, as well as for other community-based organisations.
Areas targeted under the CLÁR Programme are parts of counties: Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Kilkenny, Laois, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, and Waterford, Westmeath, Wicklow and all of County Leitrim. A national map of CLÁR areas, together with individual county maps, is available.
The measures being funded under the 2025 CLÁR programme are:
- Measure 1: Developing Community Facilities and Amenities (applications via local authorities)
- Measure 2: Mobility, Cancer Care, Community First Responder and Meals on Wheels Transport (applications direct to DRCD)
- Measure 3: 'Our Living Islands' (applications direct to DRCD)