Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise the issue of the local improvement scheme, LIS. It would be remiss of me not to say there are 500 roads in Mayo waiting to be done under the LIS and that number will increase every year. While I understand the difficulties, one of the causes was the severe cut to the number of outdoor council staff. I would be bitterly disappointed if Mayo was to hand back any of the money for LIS roads when 500 roads are waiting to be done. At the end of the day, we do not say to people who are living at the end of these roads that they do not need to pay their property tax because they can hardly travel on their road. If counties have not spent their money, is there a way of reallocating it or is the Department bound by statute in a way that means it cannot be reallocated? It is disgraceful that money would go back to the Department.