Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2024
770. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development further to Parliamentary Question No. 230 of 24 January 2024, if further funding will be made available to Galway County Council to deal with the backlog of LIS applications and reopen the scheme to new applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15975/24]
View answerThe Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) supports improving rural roads and laneways not normally maintained by local authorities. As part of Our Rural Future, the government is committed to ensuring that the LIS is funded in the future.
The scheme was reintroduced in 2017 after several years without dedicated funding. Between 2017 and 2023, my Department allocated almost €130 million to improvement works on over 4,000 non-public roads and lanes, which benefitted nearly 20,000 landowners and residents in rural Ireland.
Last year alone, my Department invested almost €30 million in LIS funding, the highest amount ever invested in the scheme. My officials liaise closely with each local authority to ensure that funds are utilised fully and that as many roads as possible are completed each year.
Each local authority selects roads to be funded under the scheme based on the priority or condition of particular roads in their county. The local authority may rely on existing lists of eligible roads and/or advertise for new applicant roads. However, there is a backlog of roads awaiting repair under the scheme, and my priority is to support local authorities in addressing this backlog.
I intend to announce the 2024 scheme shortly, and my officials will contact local authorities regarding the details of the scheme (including financial allocations) as soon as it is announced.
