John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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59. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to immediately restore the local improvement grants scheme which, prior to its suspension in 2011, provided an invaluable aid for persons in rural areas who were living in private cul-de-sacs. [11598/16]

John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Will the Minister reinstate the funding under local improvement schemes for cul-de-sacs and private roads in rural areas? County Kerry has approximately 2,000 km of such roads. We had a successful scheme that ran for many years but which was, unfortunately, stopped in 2011. There are approximately 100 roads on the current list awaiting improvement in County Kerry. I am sure the position is the same in every other county. Even if the fund were restored to 2009 levels of €15 million, it would provide a valuable source of moneys for valuable projects which would benefit many people in all rural areas.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I thank the Deputy for bringing this problem to my attention. It is coming at me thick and fast and the Deputy has certainly been the first out of the traps in tabling a Priority Question on the matter. I understand its importance to people, particularly those outside city areas.

The local improvement scheme remains in place this year. The scheme provides funding for private roads and laneways, the maintenance and improvement of which are, in the first instance, matters for the relevant landowner. While it does not have a ring-fenced allocation in 2016, local authorities may use a proportion of State grant funding, 15% of the discretionary grant, for the local improvement scheme, should they wish to do so. In addition, councils can also provide moneys from their own resources towards the scheme.

A Programme for a Partnership Government provides that, as the economy recovers, the Government will promote increased funding for local improvement schemes on an annual basis. A major objective of the new Government will be to prioritise new investment in local and regional road maintenance and improvements and local improvement scheme funding will be promoted in that context.

John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Ring-fenced funding is what I am after, with every Deputy in a rural constituency. Saying to the local authority that the scheme is open and can be funded from its own resources just does not work. Since 2011, there has been a 50% cut in the funding for local roads within councils. We can barely maintain what we have with the funding available. Trying to fund local improvement schemes, in effect, on private roads is simply impossible. Will the ring-fenced fund for these schemes be reintroduced? During the good times back in 2006, the fund was €24.5 million. County Kerry benefited to the tune of €2.3 million in that year which allowed 120 roads to be covered. Even in 2009 when we were in the middle of the recession, the level of funding for the scheme was €15 million, meaning that County Kerry benefited to the tune of €1.3 million. That level of funding would sustain the maintenance roads. The first and last half kilometre of one’s drive are the most important to us all because they are the parts on which we work most frequently.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I am giving away no secrets to the Deputy in telling him this issue was included in the programme for Government and that it came from members of my group. I am kept conscious by the day of what the Deputy is saying by another source. The pressure exerted on me will be equally effective from elsewhere. The Deputy is kicking at a vulnerable and open door when talking about the issue. While the fund will not be restored to its old form, the programme for Government stated:

"As the economy recovers, we will promote increased funding for local improvement schemes and community involvement schemes, on an annual basis. A major transport objective for the new Government will be to prioritise new investment in local and regional road maintenance and improvements and the LIS and CIS will play a key role in meeting that objective. As part of our commitment to local government reform we will also give councils greater discretion in how they spend their money on local and regional roads. We will expand the scheme to include the taking in charge of non-council roads with a view to having this scheme up and running by end 2017".

John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the pressure exerted on the Minister by members of his own group about this matter which is significantly important for rural Members. It is also immensely important to a large number of the population in each county. Telling councils to use their own funding will simply not work. From 1999 to 2007, there was substantial investment in the road network. The majority of local roads in all counties were brought up to a reasonable level. However, as these roads now beginning to fall apart, the councils have to reinvest in them. Funding is needed for the improvement of private roads. Local residents provide a 15% contribution, but the work is carried out by the local authority, meaning that it is recirculated. One gets good value for one’s grant money because local authority workers are the ones doing the work. I urge the Minister to stick to the programme for Government commitments and hope 2017 will see the reintroduction of a real level of funding for the scheme.