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

I propose to take questions Nos. 5, 7, 9, 28 and 41 together.

The LIS supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by the local authorities. I am acutely aware of the importance of the scheme to rural landowners and residents. That is why, as part of Our Rural Future, the Government is committed to ensuring that the LIS is funded into the future.

The scheme was reintroduced by my Department in 2017 following a number of years with no dedicated funding. Between 2017 and 2024, my Department has allocated almost €170 million to local authorities under the scheme. This has been used to upgrade, up to the end of 2023, over 4,000 non-public roads and lanes, which has benefited almost 20,000 landowners and residents in rural areas. I have ensured that the base funding for the scheme has increased year on year in recent years. I have also prioritised the scheme for additional funding where savings have emerged in my Department as the year has progressed.

I am happy to confirm that I have also secured additional once-off funding for the scheme this year. On foot of this, I recently announced €40 million in funding to cover work under the scheme across 2024 and 2025. This demonstrates my commitment to ensuring that improvement and upgrade works continue on eligible roads under the terms of the scheme. The announcement of the funding for both 2024 and 2025 will also allow local authorities to plan more effectively for work to be carried out in the medium term, thus facilitating better delivery on the ground.

While my Department provides funding for the scheme, it is administered by the local authorities. The latter are also responsible for the selection and prioritisation of roads. It is a matter for each local authority to determine eligible roads for inclusion under the scheme criteria in any given year, and to decide whether or not to open the scheme to new applicants or to focus on existing lists. I am aware of the importance of the works funded under the scheme across the country and of some of the obstacles that local authorities can encounter. With this in mind, my officials engage with local authorities on an ongoing basis regarding the scheme and work to address any issues as they arise.

In designing the scheme for this year, I have some important changes to the eligibility criteria following feedback received from various stakeholders. Local authorities are now in the process of submitting their lists of priority roads eligible under the terms of this year's scheme for approval. Once approval has been granted, local authorities will have until November to complete works and draw down their 2024 funding. As I said, my Department officials will, as always, work closely with each local authority to ensure funding is fully utilised. Local authorities can then submit their 2025 priority lists in January to ensure that as much time as possible is allowed for the completion of works.

On the question posed by Deputy Moynihan, drawdown of funds under the LIS is based on completed works and eligible expenditure per the terms of the scheme. My Department did not receive any requests from local authorities for drawdown of funds in respect of local improvement scheme works not completed in 2023. Funds under the scheme are only released to local authorities upon receipt of fully-completed documentation, which includes a list of completed roads.

Within my Department, the operation of the scheme is reviewed each year. The process for allocating funding is thoroughly examined to ensure that funds are distributed in such a way as to ensure that local authorities fully utilise their allocations to complete repair works on as many eligible roads as possible. As already stated, local authorities are - in my view, quite rightly - responsible for administering this scheme on the basis of local need. The scheme outline provides guidance to local authorities regarding the selection and prioritisation of roads in an effort to ensure a consistent and uniform approach by all local authorities.

Projects that most require attention should be prioritised and consideration should also be given to other factors such as the condition of the road, the number of beneficiaries, how many parcels of land are served, accessibility issues and estimated costs. The condition of roads varies from county to county, and this is one of the range of factors that may account for disparities between counties. Other factors include the geographic location and terrain of particular roads, and the availability of contractors and suppliers to underpin delivery. It is also of note that local authorities are required under the terms of the scheme to abide by the relevant procurement rules and procedures. The scheme also includes a rule that no individual road project which exceeds 20% of the total annual allocation to a local authority can be approved.

Following the recent announcement of funding, each local authority has been advised of its allocation across 2024 and 2025, including those in receipt of a separate allocation for works specifically on our offshore inhabited islands.

I have again included an additional ring-fenced allocation for works to be carried out on eligible roads on offshore islands.

I reiterate my commitment to ensuring this important scheme is funded into the future. As the Deputies will be aware, I have made a number of requests for co-funding to be provided by my colleague the Minister for Transport, and I will continue to pursue those requests. I am confident that my Department will continue to work in close co-operation with the local authorities to ensure that the LIS delivers important benefits across rural Ireland in an efficient and effective manner.

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