Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 April 2018
550. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if his Department has changed its practice in which it no longer funds private or non-council roads on islands unless the council agrees to take over the future maintenance of those private roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17668/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) is a programme for improvement works on small private/non-public roads. The eligibility criteria for the scheme are largely based on the Memorandum governing the scheme which was published in 2002 by the then Department of Environment and Local Government.
Eligible roads are non-public roads, often leading to houses and important community amenities such as graveyards, beaches, piers, mountains, etc., or other non-public roads that provide access to parcels of land, or provide access for harvesting purposes (including turf or seaweed) for two or more persons. There must be more than one landholder on an LIS road and the road must be open to the public.
I recently announced the allocation of approximately €10 million for the scheme for 2018. The majority of County Councils have submitted lists of eligible roads which will undergo works in 2018 to my Department, and I have made these lists available on my Department's website, www.drcd.gov.ie.
It is the responsibility of the County Council to select the road projects that will receive LIS funding in line with the scheme criteria and the Memorandum governing the scheme. The Memorandum does not preclude roads on Islands being selected by the County Council to receive funding.
