Donegal CLÁR extensions essential

There is a need for an extension of the CLÁR area in Donegal and the extension of additional electoral divisions.

According to Donegal County Councillor Albert Doherty (Sinn Féin) such extensions would enable community access to the rural investment programme.

CLÁR (Ceantair Laga Árd-Riachtanais) is the targeted investment programme for rural areas that aims to provide funding for small infrastructural projects in areas which experience disadvantage.

Cllr Doherty's motion on the issue was passed unanimously at Wednesday's plenary council meeting, held in the Aura leisure centre in Letterkenny.

Cllr Doherty proposed: “Donegal County Council seeks from Government the inclusion of additional electoral divisions for the CLÁR programme, and, this motion be forwarded for the attention of Minister Heather Humphreys (Department of Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands) and Minister Charlie McConalogue (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine).”

He said: “We were to have this meeting on March 28 and March 31 was to be the final date for the council submission of the projects available and for which funding was being sought under this year's CLÁR programme.

“What is available to a CLÁR school, community groups, Local Development Companies? For schools in community safety areas, there can be child safety signs; digital speed safety signs; the upgrade of road markings; and pedestrian crossings can be erected in small towns and villages, at school and community facilities.

“There can also be the construction and upgrading of access footpaths close to schools; car parking facilities, to access school and community facilities; bus shelters; provision of public lighting; and safety related intervention.

“One of the requirements for a community is you must be located in a CLÁR area. In the Inishowen peninsula, I had support recently at an ETB meeting from Cllr Donaghey, I highlighted, with regard to the schools, that in my adjoining parish of Clonmany, the school community adjacent to the Tiernasligo NS, are eligible to apply for these resources but, a couple of miles in the road, the school in Clonmany village, the school at Cloontagh, the school at Rasheney, all in the same parish, are excluded,” said Cllr Doherty.

Cllr Doherty said his own town, the school at Glenagannon could apply but St Brigid's NS at Glenmakee, Glentougher NS, Carndonagh Boys, Carndonagh Girls, and Carndonagh Community School, which are not in a CLÁR area, were unable to apply for similar resources.

He added there were other parts of Inishowen and wider Donegal that would benefit from being part of the CLÁR plan.

Cllr Doherty said: “Over the last couple of years, I have seen schools which are cash-strapped coming to councillors looking fro assistance, to do with car parking, to do with safety issues, and they might apply through the DFI.

“But CLÁR is a scheme if there was eligibility that they could access some of those resources. I am asking that our Council propose it must be the sameness rather than differentiation, and that we highlight the safety needs in these rural areas, that we highlight the safety provisions, that we highlight the community facilities that ca be provided for these areas. This should be our priority.

“We should acknowledge that the disposable income of schools and parents is restricted, that there are limited resources from the Department of Education and CLÁR was designed to assist electoral divisions where you had a district of significant need and I move that the areas I highlighted are part those of those areas and they deserve inclusion.

“I look forward to Council submitting a comprehensive application and a request for and extension to the CLÁR area,” said Cllr Doherty.

His motion was seconded by Cllr Terry Crossan (Sinn Féin).

Addressing the issue Mr Liam Ward, Donegal County Council's director of community development and planning services, said Donegal County Council had been quite active and successful in relation to obtaining CLÁR funding.

He said: “We are happy to work on the report that he has suggested and indeed, we will link in with him again before that report is submitted and on the foot of the motion now being adopted, we will forward a copy to the Minister for Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands and also to Minister Charlie McConalogue, in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Cllr Doherty concluded: “The mere motion alone may not suffice. Some additional comments and recommendations from the executive may lend that little bit of weight.”