Cork East Fine Gael TD and Minister of State at the Department of Justice, David Stanton, has welcomed funding allocations to two local schools to develop road traffic safety measures outside the school.  Funding is being provided through the CLÁR programme funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and administered by local authorities

“The latest round of funding under the CLÁR Programme is being allocated to schools and community groups for safety measures.  I am very pleased that in my constituency of Cork East a total of €90,050 has been allocated with Conna National School and Inch National School having submitted successful applications.  Applications are made directly to Cork County Council who then put forward the preferred projects to the Department of Rural and Community Development.

Conna NS will receive €45,000 for the provision of public lighting, a pedestrian crossing and car parking facilities.  Inch NS will received €45,050 for phase 2 of their works which will include footpaths, safety railing, gate and public lighting.  Both the funding allocations will also be supplemented by each of the schools’ own funding sources. 

Speaking about the purpose of the funds Minister Stanton said: “The funding under this latest round of the CLÁR Programme allows for the installation of safety measures such as pedestrian crossings, flashing lights and speed indicators in villages and adjacent to schools and community facilities.  These measures will greatly enhance road safety for school children and staff and also the local community. 

“My colleague Michael Ring TD, Minister for Rural and Community Development, has allocated €4.8 million to 170 projects in rural areas across the country. This builds on the previous funding allocations under CLÁR, which since 2016, has provided funding to over 1,000 projects with further allocations due shortly.

“The CLÁR Programme is hugely important to rural communities and forms a significant part of Fine Gael’s Action Plan for Rural Development which was launched in January 2017.  Other funding initiatives to support the econoomic and social development of rural communities include the Rural Recreation Programme and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.”