- Vehicles for community first responders, search and rescue groups, and meals on wheels services
- Support to assist people with reduced mobility and those accessing cancer care services
Ireland - During a visit to St. Dymphna’s special education school in Ballina, Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, has today (Friday, 12th September) announced €1.7 million to deliver 32 vehicles under the 2025 CLÁR programme.
The vehicles will provide much needed support for people with reduced mobility accessing
day care, medical and other services, and for people that require transport services to access cancer treatment. This funding is also supporting the purchase of vital vehicles by community first responders, search and rescue organisations and meals on wheels groups.Among the projects being funded include:
- County Donegal – Donegal Mountain Rescue Team: Purchase of a 4x4 mountain rescue emergency response vehicle. €83,701
- County Kerry – Killarney Community Services: To purchase a 16-seater bus with wheelchair lift. €93,236
- County Longford – Longford Scuba Divers: Purchase of a purpose-built van to support search and recovery operations. €80,000
- County Mayo - St. Dymphna’s Special School: To procure a hybrid vehicle to support inclusive school transport for pupils with special needs. €80,959
- County Offaly – Order of Malta Ambulance Corps Birr-Roscrea: Provision of a voluntary community-based ambulance vehicle. €75,938
- County Tipperary – North Tipperary Development Company: Meals on wheels vehicle - €27,931
- County Westmeath – Irish Wheelchair Association: Purchase of a wheelchair accessible vehicle. €44,123
Speaking today, Minister Calleary said:
“The CLÁR programme is providing funding to support vital services in some of our most rural areas, particularly for those with acute medical and accessibility challenges. These services give greater independence to individuals and their families, and empowers them to live fulfilled lives within their communities.
“We all know the immense value of these organisations in our communities. The volunteers in our community, first responders and search and rescue organisations are those who we turn to in some of the most challenging of circumstances. I’m delighted to be able to assist them in the critical services they provide. I’m also pleased to be able to support meals on wheels services that are vital to assist the elderly and vulnerable in their own homes.
“I know this investment of €1.7 million will make a real difference to people’s lives.”
Details of the 32 projects announced today are available here. The funding announced today is in respect of Measure 2 (Mobility, Cancer Care, Meals on Wheels and Community First Responders Transport). Further announcements in respect of Measures 1 and 3 of the 2025 CLÁR programme will be made later this year.
Note
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: here
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)
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