Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply. The reply prepared by the Department is somewhat inaccurate in that the backlog does not go back to 2008; it began in 2012.

The Minister and I were members of a Government that, until 2011, provided very substantial funding for the local improvement scheme. I agree that we need huge investment in our regional and local network. When the Minister met Fianna Fáil Oireachtas Members with me, he may recall that I highlighted the need to maintain investment in the non-national road network to ensure we did not lose the investment that had already been made. At the same time, I know many laneways and local roads along which ten or 12 families live. These are people of all age groups and people who, thankfully, have come back to live in their local communities. In many of those areas we have the social infrastructure in place, be it schools, sporting facilities or whatever. I now have queries from people who want to move back to rural Ireland. They want to go back to live in their home places and they ask me whether there is any chance that the roads along which they have their sites will be brought up to an acceptable and appropriate standard. These people pay their taxes, as do people living in urban areas, who have good roads and road surfaces, footpaths and public lighting. These people are being denied proper road surfaces leading to their homes, which is not acceptable. The Minister will agree with me on that, I am sure.

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