Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 February 2025
205. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Transport if his Department will increase the funding available to local authorities for investment under the 2025 community involvement scheme and the local improvement scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5678/25]
View answer206. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Transport if his Department will increase the funding available to local authorities for investment in regional and local roads under the 2025 regional and local road allocations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5679/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 205 and 206 together.
In accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993, each local authority has statutory responsibility for the improvement and maintenance of their regional and local roads. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources and are supplemented by State Road grants. Of these grants, the vast majority (approximately 90%) are targeted at the maintenance and renewal of the network with c. 10% of the remaining funding invested in new roads/bridges or for road realignments.
On 14th February I announced an Exchequer investment of €713 million in our regional and local roads across the State which represents an overall increase of over 8% in funding this year. Details of the 2025 regional and local grant allocations are available at www.gov.ie/en/press-release/df86e-ministers-announce-713-million-for-regional-and-local-roads/.
In 2018, the Department introduced ring-fenced funding for Community Involvement Schemes (CIS). The purpose of the CIS is to facilitate local community participation in the repair of local roads. The focus of the programme is on the repair of more lightly trafficked public roads which might not be high on the list of a local authority's annual roadwork programme. Under the scheme a local community can contribute in money or in kind, for example by making labour or machinery available.
While community contributions in the range 15% to 30% had been required up to 2021, depending on the mix between works and monies, the contribution rate has now been reduced to a minimum of 10% for monetary contributions and 20% for works contribution. This is more in line with Local Improvement Scheme contribution rates.
In order to allow for sufficient planning and applications for this scheme, local authorities are invited to apply for funding for CIS projects for a two-year programme with the latest round of applications received in 2023 for the 2024/2025 period.
€14.8 million has been allocated to local authorities for Community Involvement Schemes this year.
As regards the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS), the Local Government Act 2001 provides the statutory basis for the LIS, allowing funding to be provided to local authorities for the construction and improvement of non-public roads which meet certain criteria. It is important to highlight that the maintenance of non-public roads is the responsibility of the relevant landowners; local authorities only have statutory responsibility for the improvement and maintenance of public roads (in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993). Works on these public roads are funded from local authorities' own resources and are supplemented by State Road Grants.
My department has not provided dedicated funding towards the LIS programme since 2012. Between 2013 to 2017, local authorities were permitted discretion to use a proportion of their Discretionary Road Grant for the LIS programme if they chose to do so. In September 2017, the Minister for Rural and Community Development reintroduced a dedicated funding stream for the LIS. Considering the significant funding support being provided by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the need to direct limited resources into maintaining and renewing public roads, it was decided that Discretionary Grants would no longer support LIS programmes. This remains the position. Maintenance and improvement of public roads is essential to ensure a safe network with a high level of service and social/economic connectivity.
