The Minister for Rural, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Ó Cuív, marked the first anniversary of his Clár programme for rural regeneration yesterday when he opened a new bridge over a Leitrim river.
The Tooma bridge linking the Leitrim communities of Cloone and Aughavas over the Cloone river replaces what was little more than "wooden planks with bits of wire in place of a handrail", the Minister said when he cited it as one example of how Clár worked on the ground. The bridge was constructed in less than three months from time of sanction by Leitrim County Council. To date, some €20.3 million has been allocated nationally for measures under the programme, the Minister said, and co-funding from other departments and agencies puts a value of €50 million on it annually.
The Clár programme was initiated a year ago following a critical report on the growing east-west divide by the Western Development Commission. It was designed to "fast-track" National Development Plan spending in selected areas hit by depopulation, but was described as an insufficient response by the Independent TD, Ms Marian Harkin.
Under the programme, 16 areas in various counties which had lost on average some 50 per cent of population in the last 75 years were selected. The Cooley peninsula was also earmarked because of the impact there of foot-and-mouth disease. The Minister said he did not think anyone could dispute the fact that there had been an extremely good return from the €12.7 million investment.
