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

The focus of the LIS is to support the continued improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities but that represent vital infrastructure for rural residents. The scheme is also used to fund non-public roads leading to important community amenities such as graveyards, beaches, piers, mountain access points or other tourism and heritage sites.

My Department provides an allocation of funding each year to the local authorities for works on these roads. The selection of roads to be funded under the scheme is then a matter for each local authority based on the priority or condition of particular roads in its county. The local authority may rely on existing lists of eligible roads and-or advertise for new applicant roads. Demand for the scheme is strong and it is normally oversubscribed. It is acknowledged how important the scheme is for people in rural areas and for farm families in particular. There is no other source of funding for these roads, which provide vital access to agricultural lands and rural homes.

I was pleased, as part of budget 2022, to announce an increase in the base funding for the LIS from €10.5 million to €11 million this year. Last year, I was in a position to double the initial LIS allocation to €21 million following the identification of savings in other capital areas. Kerry received more than €1.1 million of this funding in 2021.

This year, I am continuing to monitor expenditure patterns closely. Should savings emerge, I will give consideration to allocating additional funding to the scheme again.

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