John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister. It is great to see that so much progress has been made on the local improvement scheme since it was re-established in 2017. The 5,000 improved roads in many rural parts of the country are very important to many of our constituents. I welcome the fact that the Minister has doubled the funding this year to €30 million, representing one of the largest increases for the scheme in the history of the State. It is great to see that Cork County Council has expended over €14 million on the scheme since its re-establishment in 2017.

There are many roads in my constituency, Cork North-West. We had the privilege of having the Minister down in Rylane last weekend. Many roads around Rylane and other areas are in significant need of refurbishment. Many applications have been received by Cork County Council and there are many on hand. As a public representative for the area, I urge the Minister to continue to push for further funding between now and 2030 so we can continue to address the backlog of roads that need to be improved during that time.

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