Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys has today (Friday, November 20) announced details of €340,000 in funding to support 45 projects in rural communities under the 2020 CLÁR programme.
The funding announced by the minister, which is being provided under the CLÁR programme, will enable community-based organisations which deliver Meals on Wheels and linked services to purchase equipment and make adaptations to existing vehicles to support the provision of their services.
This is a new initiative under CLÁR for 2020, in recognition of the “critical role played by community groups in responding to Covid-19”, with a particular focus on those groups providing Meals on Wheels services.
Speaking today, Minister Humphreys said organisations receiving the funding are “at the heart of our rural communities and are providing an invaluable service in areas that are often quite remote”.
“The support that we are providing to organisations in the provision of Meals on Wheels and linked services is of particular importance this year, in light of the many challenges arising from Covid-19,” the minister said.
These organisations are an important lifeline for people living in their own homes and they play an important role in combating rural isolation for many people.
Today’s announcement is in addition to funding of €4.1 million for 115 projects, which the minister announced on November 2.
CLÁR programme
Over 1,500 projects have been funded under CLÁR since the programme was reintroduced in 2016.
The CLÁR (Ceantair Laga Árd-Riachtanais) programme is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and is an element of the department’s Rural Development Investment Programme which provides a package of co-ordinated and complementary supports for rural areas under Project Ireland 2040.
CLÁR is a targeted investment programme for rural areas that provides funding for small projects in areas that have experienced significant depopulation in the past.