Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Yes, exactly. I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 102 together.

The LIS is the programme for improvement works on small private or non-public roads in rural areas. It is funded by the Minister's Department and is administered through the local authorities. As the Deputy may be aware, there was no dedicated funding for the scheme due to the constraints on public expenditure, but the Minister was conscious of the underlying demand for the scheme in rural areas throughout the country.

The Minister introduced the LIS scheme in December 2017, allocating €17.5 million to local authorities for LIS roads in 2017, while in 2018, he allocated more than €20.8 million for LIS roads in two phases. On 7 February 2019, he announced the sum of €10 million for LIS 2019. Indicative allocations on a county-by-county basis can be found on the Department's website. It is a matter for the relevant local authority to determine which roads it wishes to prioritise from the allocated funding and to ensure that all roads meet the scheme criteria. Local authorities were asked to submit to the Department the final list of roads they intend to complete under the 2019 scheme on or before 1 April, and the Minister's officials are examining these submissions to ensure that they meet the scheme criteria. The LIS has been a great success since the Minister introduced it in 2017. It has supported improvement works on more than 1,200 roads in 18 months.

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