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

I thank the Deputy. The local improvement scheme is an important transport scheme. It provides for the improvement of roads all over the country which are not formally taken in charge by the local authority but which, were they in urban areas, probably would be because they access multiple households and, in some cases, multiple farms and businesses. A total of €10.5 million was provided for the scheme in 2021, which was double the allocation seen, for example, ten years ago. An extra €10.5 million was also granted during the year. Kerry County Council got an increase based on what it applied for when invited.

I cannot give any commitments for next year but I will talk to the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, about this. I know Deputies Danny Healy-Rae, Michael Healy-Rae, Griffin and Foley are all ad idem that they would like to see additional funding for the LIS in Kerry and across the country through the course of 2022.

I undertake to speak to the Ministers, Deputy Humphreys and Michael McGrath, about that because we will see unspent capital funding by many Departments this year and probably next year. The LIS is a good scheme to divert money into during the course of the year. If a Department cannot spend its capital allocation for some reason, perhaps because a big project is delayed or there is some issue like that, the LIS is the perfect scheme to divert money into so allocations do not go unspent. I thank that will happen next year.

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