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

I have been doing my best on this. I gave €22 million this year in local improvement scheme funding, which I believe is the highest amount that has ever been given. I doubled it last year also. There are many competing demands in my Department. There are other schemes and with each scheme, one may want to know why funding is not forthcoming, whether it is town and village renewal or outdoor recreation schemes, or whether it is the regeneration fund, all of which are investments in rural Ireland. I have to try to balance things. From unspent moneys, I was able to move money into the LIS programme because it is also a priority for me.

I have to say, however, that LIS is tar and that is what it goes to fund, that is, tar and roads. I would like and I have asked the Minister for Transport to look at providing matched funding to my Department for the local improvement schemes. It is a priority here and has been raised with me on numerous occasions but I cannot produce all the money. Money did come out of the Department of Transport at one stage in the past and that Department should look at matching what I have put in from my Department. My Department is only a very small one and if there was a roads project which was delayed, one would clear the whole list if this money was then diverted to the LIS programme.

See this speech in context