Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and I also thank him for his kind comments. He is quite correct in saying that the local improvement scheme, LIS, is a very important scheme for rural areas. As the Deputy will be aware, the Taoiseach and I announced the provision of €10 million for a local improvement scheme for 2017 at the National Ploughing Championships last week. The scheme supports improvement works on private and non-public roads. Often these roads lead to multiple residences, parcels of land that support agricultural activity, or public amenities such as lakes, rivers or beaches.

My Department wrote to local authorities in August to establish the level of demand for a local improvement scheme this year. The local authorities were clearly advised that any requests for funds would be subject to their capacity to complete any proposed works in 2017 and funding availability.

The scheme was launched on 21 September on the basis of the information received back from the local authorities. It was not possible to support fully the level of demand which the local authorities stated they could deliver in 2017, but all eligible local authorities received a minimum of €250,000, with the exception of the three authorities that requested less than that amount. It is now a matter for the local authorities to determine which roads they wish to prioritise from the funding allocated to them.

As Minister for Rural and Community Development, I am very much aware of the importance of the local improvement scheme. The roads covered by the scheme give access to homes, farmyards, agricultural land and business premises, and are often heavily used. However, because they fall outside direct local authority control, many need upgrading. For emergency services too, bad road surfaces can lead to delays in accessing sites and tending to people in need.

We have not been in a position to fund the local improvement scheme adequately in recent years, but we have now honoured the commitment in A Programme for a Partnership Government and in the Action Plan for Rural Development to reinstate the scheme.

Given the consultation which my Department engaged in with the local authorities in determining what they could deliver in 2017, I urge local authorities to implement the programme and spend the money allocated to them without delay.

The priority is to fund projects which can be completed during 2017 and I am not in a position to extend the deadline for the drawdown of moneys if we are to achieve this objective. The timeline was highlighted to the local authorities prior to their submission of expressions of interest.

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