Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will read this answer for the Deputy but his assumption is wrong. The LIS supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities and represents a vital piece of infrastructure for rural communities. The funding can be a lifeline for such communities, directly improving access to family farms and supporting economic activity. Over €80 million has already been provided for works on roads since the scheme was relaunched in 2017. As part of Our Rural Future, the Government is committed to ensuring that the LIS is funded into the future. In that regard, I was pleased to announce an increased allocation for the scheme from €10.5 million to €11 million as part of budget 2022.

The amount of funding allocated to each local authority is typically determined by the physical area of each county, with minimum and maximum thresholds applied. However, the second tranche of €10.5 million that I announced for the LIS earlier this year was distributed based on the amount each local authority indicated it could deliver before the end of the year. This was to ensure that the funding would be fully delivered before the end of the year. In normal circumstances, and in the absence of reliable data on the number of roads eligible for the scheme in each county, I am satisfied that using the physical area of each county is a fair and transparent basis for allocating the funding. Having said that, the approach to allocating funding is considered each year in advance of launching the scheme.

I will keep the position under review in 2022.

To be clear, we told the local authorities to send us in a list of what they could do. If the local authorities were not able to send in lists, we decided that there was no point in them getting the money. The Deputy will have to revert to his local authority.

See this speech in context