John Ellis
Ceist:80 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment if he will give details of the regulations regarding the operation of local improvement schemes; and if these regulations are similar in each county. [4141/95]
Written Answers. - Local Improvement Schemes.
The statutory provisions applying to the operation of the local Improvements Scheme are contained in the Local Government (Roads and Drainage) Act, 1968. The administration of the scheme is devolved to county councils, subject to the provisions of the 1968 Act and to general guidelines issued annually by my Department. The latter urge councils to ensure, as far as practicable, that priority is given to those projects most requiring attention in the county as a whole. In addition, they deal with the amount of landholders' contributions to be paid towards the cost of works, and include guidance on the procedure which might be adopted when making offers to carry out projects and on other matters of a general administrative nature.In making offers, county councils are required to limit commitments so as to stay within their annual grant allocations.
Under the Act, a project qualifying for a grant is carried out on the basis of an agreement between the applicant(s) and the council concerned. It is a matter for these parties to determine the precise terms of that agreement.