Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for being here on the graveyard shift and the Minister of State, Deputy Malcolm Noonan, for staying late to take this Topical Issue matter. It is a very important issue that affects thousands of families all over the country. Right now, thousands of local improvement scheme, LIS, roads are awaiting funding to be repaired and brought back to an acceptable standard.

There is a misconception that these are private roads and they are often referred to as private roads. The reality in many cases is that these are roads that local authorities have, to be kind, ignored for years. They are non-council roads but there is an impression they are gated roads that only one family can use, which is a misconception. These are very often important roads used by multiple families. Unfortunately, many have fallen into a terrible state of disrepair and people need financial support from the State to keep the roads in a decent condition in order to be used.

Just last night, I was on Farnes road in Castlemaine, County Kerry, where there are 13 houses. There is nothing private about that road but it is a non-council road in appalling condition. The neighbours came together last night and themselves filled some of the potholes with tarmac, but that is a stop-gap measure and the road is still very substandard. These are all citizens who deserve to have excellent infrastructure, as every citizen deserves to have, but particularly for that last half a mile up to their house. People pay their motor tax and they contribute to society in so many different ways, yet the road to their home is in an appalling condition.

This is happening all over the country. There are hundreds of cases in Kerry and thousands nationwide. I acknowledge the work that has been done in recent years to get the scheme moving again and to get extra funding to clear the old lists and open up new applications, but, quite simply, the money there now is not enough and is only a drop in the ocean. I understand some €10 million was allocated this year and while I acknowledge that is a 5% increase on last year, realistically, €10 million would only cover a fraction of the roads in Kerry, never mind the roads all over the country.

I have started a campaign in the last couple of weeks to “clear the LIS-t”. The local improvement scheme is very worthy of funding and it is money that can be spent immediately. Employment would be created immediately and people would not have to get planning permission as these are shovel-ready projects. It would mean a huge difference to the quality of life of people living close to these roads. It is not just homes and farmyards that are connected by these roads. Many important amenities, such as our mountains, lakes, rivers and walkways, are connected. Even in my own community, I can point to numerous roads that connect the seashore, the mountain and the walkways, and they are local improvement scheme roads that are awaiting funding.

I do not think the Department of Rural and Community Development can do this alone as it does not have a huge overall budget. That is why I am glad the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, is present because I feel that his Department, through local government, has a role to play, as absolutely and very blatantly does the Department of Transport. It used to be a transport issue and it was shipped over to the Department of Rural and Community Development in 2016. I congratulate the former Minster, Deputy Michael Ring, on the work he did to progress this issue and the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, has done great work as well. However, they cannot do it alone and they need help. I call on all three Departments to chip in but I also ask that, in every Department, there be a look at redirecting capital funding that cannot be spent at the moment because of Covid and the re-profiling of that towards the local improvement schemes. As I said, it would improve quality of life but would also provide much-needed employment for people all over the country.

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