Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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29. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he or his officials have had discussions with the Minister of State with responsibility for rural and community affairs regarding the possibility of providing matching funding from his Department and the CLÁR scheme of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs for the repair of non-county roads under the local improvement scheme; if so, the nature of these discussions; if decisions were taken as a result of the discussions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29952/17]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Many public roads in rural areas have not been taken in charge by local authorities. Many lead to houses, public facilities and strands, which are very important to the Wild Atlantic Way. When I was in government these roads were co-funded by the Departments with responsibility for transport and rural affairs, respectively. Is the Minister or are his officials engaged in discussions with the Minister - or the Minister of State with responsibility for rural and community affairs, as he was until recently - on providing funding to these so-called local improvement scheme, LIS, roads?

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I thank the former Minister for his question which is on an issue on which I am rapidly being educated as it is raised virtually every day in the House, either as a Topical Issue matter or in another form. It is an important issue and I understand the difficulties in which people find themselves. I will respond to the Deputy's question on discussions in a moment.

In the first instance, maintenance of private laneways and roads not taken in charge by local authorities is the responsibility of the landowners concerned, as is the case with all private property.  The local improvement scheme, LIS, whereby a contribution can be made towards the cost of repairing such non-public roads, is governed by section 81 of the Local Government Act 2001.  The section provides that, as Minister, I can make funding available to road authorities in respect of the LIS.  In turn, a road authority may assist with local improvement schemes within its functional area, subject to the limitations set out in the Act and compliance with any terms and conditions set out by my Department.  The local improvement scheme, therefore, operates under a specific statutory remit.

As the Deputy is aware, due to cutbacks in roads funding, it was necessary for the Department to stop making separate allocations to local authorities in respect of the LIS. The scheme remains in place and road authorities can use a proportion of State grant funding, namely, 15% of the discretionary grant this year, for the LIS should they wish to do so.  I have undertaken to review the possibility of a separate allocation for the scheme, taking account of provisions of the programme for Government once the capital plan review has been completed.

5 o’clock

Up to yesterday, I did not have any discussion, nor had my officials, on the provision of funding from my Department and the CLÁR scheme for non-public roads under the LIS, but I am always open to discussion and engagement with any of my colleagues. Any such discussion would, however, have to take account of the specific statutory provisions governing LIS and of the responsibilities of private landowners.

In anticipation of this question, I spoke with the Minister, Deputy Ring, about the possibility of our Departments matching funds via, for example, CLÁR with a view to promoting the LIS. I told him that this question would be raised and asked whether we could do that. He is a man of great enterprise and interest in issues like this and he said that we should go for it or discuss it. I will be having discussions with the Minister about this. I do not promise that anything will come of it but, as a result of his comments, we will examine the matter and see what we can do.

I am aware of the significant pressure on rural Deputies in terms of the LIS and community involvement scheme, CIS. I am sympathetic towards them. As Deputy Ó Cuív will know, there is a commitment - certainly an aspiration - in the programme for Government in this regard.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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These are not private roads that have been taken in charge, but public roads. If the Minister tried to close one of them, he would quickly find out that they were not private roads. In many cases, one travels down a public road that has been taken in charge only for the tar to end because the rest of that public road has not been taken in charge. Let us be clear about it. Departmental officials saying that these are the private roads of landholders is typical of how they treat rural people. Many of these roads were tarred and should have been taken in charge at that stage but were not.

The Minister with responsibility for rural development is sitting on a pot of gold. He has so much money that he cannot spend it this year. Can the Minister who is present, Deputy Ross, come up with €5 million between now and the end of the year to match €5 million from his colleague and get some of these roads done quickly instead of just talking about them? I am delighted that an enterprising and active Deputy is the Minister for rural development.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I will be brief. Previously, CLÁR moneys were used to fund county roads that had been damaged by forestry traffic. Those roads were built on poor ground in rural areas and, after being hit with heavy forestry traffic for months on end, were destroyed. Typically, they were a low priority for councils because they were in such isolated areas.

If the Minister, Deputy Ross, is going to speak with the other Minister, Deputy Ring, about reopening CLÁR funding for use in the LIS, the scheme for public forestry roads also needs funding, given that some rural communities use these roads regularly as their main routes home.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I hope that I have not stepped on a hornet's nest by being agreeable.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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It looks like the Minister has.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I will not give Deputy Ó Cuív a hostage to fortune by making a commitment of €5 million or any other figure. He would not expect me to.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I would.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I will not do it. If a way of matching funds and reopening the LIS can be found, I am prepared to consider it. We are committed to going down that road. It was included in the programme for Government and is intended to be an early beneficiary of economic recovery. On the Deputy's prompting, I would be happy to speak with the Minister, Deputy Ring, about the issues that Deputies Ó Cuív and Aindrias Moynihan raised with a view to doing this. There is no way that we will not explore the possibility. If there are drawbacks or if it is impossible or a bad idea, I will tell the Deputies that. For the moment, however, we will enter into talks about matching funding and determining whether this is a possibility.