Dáil debates

Tuesday, 23 January 2018

2:50 pm

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am really pleased that the Government was able to restore the local improvement scheme last year. I included it in my manifesto when I ran for leadership of my party. It is also in the programme for Government, which the Deputy was involved in negotiating, and is something that is very much welcomed in rural parts of Ireland.

While these roads and laneways are not public roads, they are very often the part that accesses a number of houses, farms, businesses and so on and people who live in those houses and own those farms and businesses are people who pay tax too. Even though the road may not be officially taken in charge, people living in rural Ireland pay their motor tax, pay excise on petrol and diesel, pay VRT and now pay the local property tax. It is only right that we set aside some money for the local improvement scheme and we do so every year.

The Deputy asked two questions. The budget is €10 million this year but it is too early to add to the budget now. We can review it later if there is spare finance, either in the Department of Rural and Community Development or the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, but it is too soon at the moment to reallocate money between Departments. On timing, I can give the Deputy a favourable answer. Last year, the decision to reintroduce the local improvement scheme was only made in the summer, so we were not able to make the allocation until the latter part of the year, but it is the Minister's intention to bring it forward this year and to make the allocations in the first half of this year, if not in the first quarter, which will allow local authorities to make decisions sooner and will allow the work to be done in better weather, when it is drier over summer and autumn. This will be welcomed across rural Ireland.

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