Conor D McGuinness: ClÁR expansion and a €1m boost

This relates to the CLORA programme in light of the recent expansion of the scheme's eligibility and I really welcome the expansion of the CLORA scheme. It's something that I think all of us representing rural areas, indeed many councillors from all parties and none have been seeking for a long time. Something you probably know, I've put in several written questions over the last number of weeks, but I'm talking here about not just an increase in funding to keep pace with inflation, but a substantial increase to take into account the increased areas covered. Thank you for the first question in relation to CLORA. As you know CLORA provides funding under a number of different measures for small scale infrastructure projects in designated rural areas. The programme is currently investing in community facilities and amenities including community centres, muggas, playgrounds, walking tracks and sensory gardens. The scheme also funds vehicles for community groups providing vital services such as community first responders, Meals on Wheels groups and transport for people with reduced mobility. It is also a measure of providing targeted supports to our island communities. Minister Bonner and I launched the 2026 CLORA programme in March and we expect to announce all successful projects before year end. The 2025 programme for government made a commitment to carry out a comprehensive review of all eligible CLORA areas. Following on from this review an additional 110 electoral divisions have been designated as eligible under CLORA, which means that there are now over 1,700 CLORA EDs across the country. The total population living in CLORA designated areas is over 1 million people for the first time. Minister Bonner and I are acutely aware of the importance of this programme to some of our most rural areas and I am delighted to be in a position to bring more areas in to prepare the way for this expansion. I have secured a 1 million euro increase in the budget for CLORA in 2026 to bring the level available to 12 million euro. Funding for CLORA has increased from 5 million in 2020 to its current allocation of 12 million. We are reviewing the budget for CLORA in part of the budget 2027 process. We are engaging with both ministerial colleagues across the Department of Public Expenditure in relation to this, but absolutely share the deputies' interest in CLORA. We have prioritised it in terms of a quadrupling of the funding since 2020 and I want to continue to increase that level of funding. Thank you very much. I think on the ground in rural areas, particularly those deprived rural areas, we see the advantage of CLORA. It is relatively small money, there are small amounts that are provided, but that money goes really, really far in these areas and it is very much appreciated. Possibly not transformative, but it really helps those communities keep heads above the water. We have spoken here about the challenges that communities are facing in terms of housing and demographic edges. The last time that the three of us were in this chamber discussing like this, we were talking about isolation and loneliness. There are so many challenges. We could talk about rural policing, we could talk about access to public services. There are so many issues facing rural areas and particularly those more isolated and less well-off rural areas and the CLORA funding is really, really valuable. I would encourage you to do what you can to make that argument in your budgetary discussions this year. The Deputy and Minister Bodden and I are working hard to ensure that CLORA gets increased funding. As you know, under 2025, Waterford would have received just over half a million euro, €572,000 under Measures 1 and 2. In relation to your comments around loneliness, absolutely. That's why we have the mobility scheme, the transport scheme, because that gives local organisations in rural areas that would not have the resources to invest in buses the chance to do that. I was with a group the other day that a bus that brings people literally to hospital appointments, brings them to mass, brings people to social events. People who otherwise through illness, would be isolated in their homes. Ardmore, Glen William, Lismore, Rural and Tahoe were all added to the CLORA programme within your own county, so I do look forward to seeing the applications from Waterford later this year for projects in those areas. We will, over the course of the summer recess, hope to be in position to announce this year's mobility grants, but it is a really important programme. CLORA used to be a transformative programme. It is transformative in a different way now, but in terms of its capacity for rural economy, I do have a vision of getting back to that as well in terms of power, etc. I wish you luck in those negotiations and discussions ahead of Budget 2027. I suppose we will all be watching those who represent CLORA and rural areas. I have to say the addition of those townlands, Glen William, Tahoe, Lismore and other areas that you mentioned, is really welcome and will facilitate groups on the ground there accessing funding. Not every area, unfortunately, can be included in CLORA funding, but that is something we might revisit and have a discussion about at some stage. I know a threshold or a line has to be drawn somewhere, but I note the Comeragh or Port Lockhill, MacThomas local electoral area in Waterford, there were no new areas designated for CLORA funding. That could be a blessing in disguise in some ways because the metric is not there to qualify, but on the other hand, it means that those community groups that are facing some of the same challenges do not qualify. It is something that maybe we can come back to and have a look at sometime in the future and maybe keep that expansion going, maybe not year on year, but over time, that more and more areas would begin to qualify. I am very much open to that, but just in relation to that area you mentioned, I had the pleasure, along with Minister Butler and Minister Cummins, of visiting it there back in June. I know you had a super weekend just there in the Comeragh while we were able, through AORUS, to make investments in the forest there. It was really one of the best leader projects I have seen in Lismoor in terms of what has happened at the back of the bank, in terms of the pods, the glamping pods and the plan then for the bank. There are other alternatives apart from CLORA. The community groups in that particular area that you have mentioned are really some of the best in the country. I just want to put on record my appreciation to all the community groups across Waterford. We had a super day of engagements and to Waterford County and City Council who are the scaffolding around this and to Waterford Leader. There are a lot of really good groups there, a lot of fantastic community groups. You are a lucky deputy to be in a county where volunteers are willing to stand up and take the leadership and take the initiative. We saw it right across the county that day. There are a lot of counties that could look to Waterford and learn from that work, but also the fact that it is all community led and community driven.