Since I reintroduced the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) in 2017, I have allocated over €48 million to improvement works on more than 2,000 non-public roads throughout rural Ireland.
The LIS is funded by my Department and administered through the Local Authorities.
Co-funding is required for each project in the form of a local contribution from householders/landowners. The contribution is set at 10% of the total cost of works for roads with up to 5 householders/landowners, and 15% for roads with 6 or more householders/landowners. The maximum amount that any individual household/landowner can be asked to contribute has been capped at €1,200 under the 2019 scheme.
Local Authorities may also include a number of amenity roads in the LIS which lead to public places such as beaches and graveyards. These roads may not exceed 25% of the total value of the overall LIS allocation to a Local Authority. The co-funding for these projects is paid by the Local Authority.
The number and location of roads to benefit from improvement works is a matter for the relevant Local Authority. My Department does not hold records of projects that have not been approved at Local Authority level.