Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the lack of funding for Kerry roads on our local improvement scheme, LIS, list. This scheme has been in place for more than 40 years to resurface public roads not in the charge of the local authority. I am talking about public roads, not private roads. To qualify for the LIS, there must be at least two landholdings. I know of several roads that have anything from eight or nine landholdings and five to 20 or more houses.

County Kerry's new 2020 list started out with 707 applications that were prioritised. We got just enough funding to do ten roads last year, leaving 697 more to be done. If we only do ten roads each year it will take 69 or 70 years to complete our list. Our last priority list of 2007 had approximately 350 applications. We were doing fine up until 2012 when the scheme was suspended. I know the Department of Finance is against this scheme because it believes the taxpayer is paying for the surfacing of private roads. We are not talking about private roads, however. These are public roads. The people I am talking about are on public and not private roads.

The scheme was suspended in 2012. After being elected to Dáil Éireann in 2016, I made several representations and requests in the rural affairs committee to the then Minister, Deputy Michael Ring, to reactivate the scheme, which he did in 2017. I thank him for that and for giving us funding to finish off the 2007 programme. From 2007 to 2012, Kerry County Council accepted 118 new applications, which were kept on file and are now also included in the 707 applications on the 2020 list. Imagine applying in 2007 to get your road upgraded. We are still waiting in 2021 and will perhaps wait for several more years.

Will the Government be fair to the people in rural Ireland? Many of these people are elderly, and perhaps sick, and carers and home help workers are trying to get in and out on roads that are in a desperate state. People living on these roads are entitled to a good road to their door, the same as the people in Dublin 4. I say again that these roads are not private; they are public. I know the Department of Finance was trying to stop funding on that basis back in 2010. These people have paid their motor, property and income tax and their insurance. In most cases, they have their own water supply and septic tanks and do not even have broadband. I believe they are entitled to a reasonable road surface to their homes.

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