Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:23. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans to approve further funding for spending on LIS schemes in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43663/19]
View answerThursday, 24 October 2019
Questions (23)
Written answers
The Local Improvement Scheme, or LIS, is a programme for improvement works on small private or non-public roads in rural areas which are not under the normal maintenance of the Local Authorities. The scheme is funded by my Department and is administered through the Local Authorities.
I reintroduced the LIS in 2017, after a number of years when no dedicated funding was available for the scheme. Since then, almost 1,700 roads have benefit from investment of €48 million from my Department.
The LIS is clearly a very popular scheme and is greatly appreciated by the people who use these roads on a daily basis. On 7th February last I launched the 2019 LIS and allocated a sum of €10 million to Local Authorities.
I currently have no plans to provide additional funding for LIS this year. However, I have secured funding for the scheme again in 2020 and a new round of LIS will be announced next year.
I also want to review the scheme to ensure that it operates as effectively as possible for the people who use the roads and for the taxpayers who are funding the scheme.