Dáil debates

Thursday, 14 October 2021

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions

Rural Schemes

10:30 am

Photo of Seán SherlockSeán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

2. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department intends to facilitate a local improvement scheme in 2022; and if so, the criteria that will be applied to ensure an allocation of funds based on an equal and fair distribution across the country. [50256/21]

Photo of Seán SherlockSeán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the local improvement scheme, LIS. It is a valuable scheme and one that has benefited many rural dwellers. Our perception is that a significant proportion of the 2021 allocation went to the Cavan and Monaghan region. Cork is the biggest county and the native county of the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien, and it could argue by any objective analysis that it did not receive a proportionate and fair share of that allocation.

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I will read this answer for the Deputy but his assumption is wrong. The LIS supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities and represents a vital piece of infrastructure for rural communities. The funding can be a lifeline for such communities, directly improving access to family farms and supporting economic activity. Over €80 million has already been provided for works on roads since the scheme was relaunched in 2017. As part of Our Rural Future, the Government is committed to ensuring that the LIS is funded into the future. In that regard, I was pleased to announce an increased allocation for the scheme from €10.5 million to €11 million as part of budget 2022.

The amount of funding allocated to each local authority is typically determined by the physical area of each county, with minimum and maximum thresholds applied. However, the second tranche of €10.5 million that I announced for the LIS earlier this year was distributed based on the amount each local authority indicated it could deliver before the end of the year. This was to ensure that the funding would be fully delivered before the end of the year. In normal circumstances, and in the absence of reliable data on the number of roads eligible for the scheme in each county, I am satisfied that using the physical area of each county is a fair and transparent basis for allocating the funding. Having said that, the approach to allocating funding is considered each year in advance of launching the scheme.

I will keep the position under review in 2022.

To be clear, we told the local authorities to send us in a list of what they could do. If the local authorities were not able to send in lists, we decided that there was no point in them getting the money. The Deputy will have to revert to his local authority.

10:40 am

Photo of Seán SherlockSeán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The metrics will clearly show that, in the second round, Cavan and Monaghan did extremely well. I take the point that the Minister is making in respect of the second tranche and the notification to individual local authorities, but I would argue that, by any reasonable analysis, the lead-in time in July and the deadline for receipt was very short. Cork, whether we like it or not, is the largest county with the most roads. The Minister of State sitting beside the Minister will attest to that fact.

Coming out of the second allocation, there was not a proportionate allocation across the board. Cork could tee up approximately €2 million in LIS projects, which would take a savage amount of an allocation out of the LIS. Cork, with the reasonable people that there are in the local authority, put in projects-----

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Are you reasonable with your time as well?

Photo of Seán SherlockSeán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

-----for which there was a return for a minimal investment. All I am asking for in 2022 is equity across the board for every county.

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Deputy will have a chance to contribute again.

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I will make this clear for the Deputy. The reason I was able to put extra money into the LIS was because savings had emerged during the year and local authorities had to spend the money before the end of the year. Each local authority was asked what it could deliver. It is not my problem if Cork cannot deliver, but Limerick is very good. It is just beside Cork and it got the largest allocation in the country. It got more than any other county or area. It got its act together, put its application in and got an allocation based on it stating that it could spend the money before the end of the year. Every county got 70% of what it asked for. If local authorities do not send in applications, I cannot give them money, particularly given that, due to how this scheme is designed, the money has to be spent before the end of the year. Actually, in the second round-----

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Minister will get a chance to contribute again.

Photo of Seán SherlockSeán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

We will have to carry this conversation on outside. All I am asking is that account be taken of the size of counties like Galway and Cork. They are big counties with a large number of roads, for which there is the potential to deliver more through the LIS. The whole nature of the LIS is to service roads that are unserviced by local authorities. We have a lot more of those in Cork than most other counties. I acknowledge what the Minister is saying in respect of Limerick and her own part of the world, but there needs to be a greater degree of flexibility or a longer lead-in time to allow local authorities to respond with projects. That is all I am asking for in 2022.

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I understand that Cork is a large county and we want to see everything distributed fairly, which is what we are doing. With this fund, local authorities had to spend money by the end of the year. There was no point in my giving Cork twice what it asked for. Like everywhere else, it got 70% of what it asked for. Limerick got €1.1 million because it asked for a large allocation. It said it could get the roads done, so it got the money.

I moved more money into the LIS because I knew there were long lists across the country. The bigger picture is that the LIS was previously a Department of Transport scheme, and that Department has a substantially larger budget than mine. I have raised the issue of co-funding with the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. In fairness, he has not ruled it out. He has to cut his cloth to his Department's measure, but we could get some matched funding from it, which would make a significant difference. I will continue to raise the matter with the Minister. Local authorities need to know that, if they get the money, they have to deliver.