Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Kennelly for raising this issue. As he knows, the LIS is a programme for improvement works on small private or non-public roads in rural areas that are not normally maintained by local authorities. The scheme is funded by my Department but administered through the local authorities. It is important to note that the focus of the scheme is supporting the continued improvement of non-public rural roads and laneways that would not normally be regularly maintained by local authorities. As we both agree, these roads are vital pieces of infrastructure for rural residents. The scheme was reintroduced in 2017, and since then the Government has allocated almost €184 million allocated to local authorities.

The programme for Government commits to the provision of additional funding for the LIS. Last August, I was delighted to be able to provide an additional round of funding to local authorities for 2025. It was almost double the previous allocation committed. It saw the 2025 budget increase to €30 million. As the Senator has said, Kerry County Council was given €1.2 million in additional funding, bringing the total funding for Kerry in 2025 to over €2.2 million. The council has confirmed that it is utilising this funding to make good approximately 38 roads in the county this year.

Since 2017, Kerry has been allocated some €11.6 million in LIS funding. I am committed to ensuring the scheme continues to be well funded in the coming years. As part of budget 2026, my Department has received €17 million in LIS funding for the scheme next year. This represents an increase on the base funding announced in recent years.

While my Department provides funding for the scheme, it is administered by local authorities. They are responsible for managing the waiting lists and scheme applications and for determining the eligibility of roads. My officials are engaging closely with Kerry County Council.

While in previous years, a small number of local authorities, not including Kerry, did not spend their full allocations and returned the money, I have insisted to colleagues in local government that this must not happen again.To try to limit this happening and to maximise works completed, my Department officials are engaging with each local authority to understand where full spending may not occur and the potential to redistribute funds to local authorities that will be in a position to utilise them.

I assure the Senator his suggestion in relation to that is something I will keep very much alive. This is a very important scheme. I have made it a priority in the Department since my appointment in January. The officials in the Department know this is a priority for me. The money we were able to allocate in August was money that resulted in savings from other schemes within the Department. I was determined to ensure this money would be invested in the LIS. I continue to keep the scheme under review and to support the counties that spend the money efficiently and on time and do not return LIS funds to the Department.