From Department of Rural and Community Development
Published on
Last updated on
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, today (Thursday, September 2nd) announced the provision of €747,000 to fund 14 vehicles for community-based organisations providing vital services in rural areas.
Under the 2021 CLÁR programme, the funding will support organisations that provide free transport for cancer patients so that they can attend medical appointments.
The vehicles will also be used to assist people who are wheelchair-bound or have other mobility issues.
They will also be used to transport people to day care centres to give respite to family members who are caring for loved ones.
The 14 vehicles will be spread across 10 counties including Kerry, Cork, Galway, Meath and Roscommon.
Announcing the funding today, Minister Humphreys said:
“This funding will ensure some of the most vulnerable people in our communities can access vital supports or attend medical appointments.
“It also reflects a commitment in the Government’s rural development policy, ‘Our Rural Future’, to improve transport and accessibility in Rural Ireland.
“The organisations receiving this funding are voluntary and community-based. They provide their services free of charge and I want to commend them for the invaluable work they do.”
Examples of some of the successful organisations include:
Minister Humphreys added:
“Some of the organisations benefiting from this funding are bringing people to day care services to give respite to families who are caring for loved ones with a physical disability or a learning disability. This respite is vital for the families’ wellbeing and I am delighted that my Department can provide this assistance.”
Today’s announcement is in addition to funding of €4.2m for 104 projects which Minister Humphreys recently announced under CLÁR for school and community safety measures, and outdoor community recreation facilities.
Further announcements under the CLÁR programme will be made by Minister Humphreys in the coming weeks.
Details of the projects funded are available here
The CLÁR (Ceantair Laga Árd-Riachtanais) programme is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and forms part of the Government’s ambitious new five year policy for rural Ireland, Our Rural Future.
CLÁR is a targeted investment programme for rural areas that aims to provide funding for small infrastructural projects in designated rural areas. There are designated CLÁR areas in all counties with the exception of Dublin, Kildare and Wexford. Details of the designated areas can be found here.
CLÁR funding works in conjunction with local funding and on the basis of locally identified priorities. Originally launched in 2001 but closed for applications in 2009, the CLÁR Programme was reintroduced in 2016. CLÁR 2021 was announced in March 2021 with applications invited under 4 Measures:
Measure 1: Support for Schools/Community Safety Measures
Measure 2: Outdoor Community Recreation Facilities
Measure 3: Community Wellbeing Support
(a) Community Gardens and Allotments
(b) Mobility and Cancer Care Transport
CLÁR Innovation Measure: Funding for innovative or pilot projects that address specific challenges faced by communities in CLÁR areas.