Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 666: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the funding that will be available for local improvement schemes through local authorities in 2012; if he will indicate an estimated amount that will be available to Laois County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5127/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The current expenditure for regional and local roads will be reduced significantly over the next few years. Cuts of the magnitude proposed necessitated that some very good and worthwhile projects be curtailed including those normally carried out under the Local Improvements Scheme, for which funding has been suspended.

In making adjustments to the regional and local roads budget the primary aim has been, as far as is possible, to protect previous investment in the road network and use the available funding to maintain and restore public roads, including those in rural areas. Given that priority it is not possible to assist with any works on non-public roads.

While the importance of this scheme to rural communities and in assisting local development projects on non-public accommodation roads is acknowledged, the maintenance and improvement of these roads is, in the first instance a matter for the relevant landowner.

However, the scheme has been suspended and not abolished. If and when the financial position of the State improves, it will be possible to re-open this scheme. In the interim, it is open to local authorities to continue to operate the scheme or a similar scheme from their own resources and I am sure they will do if they consider it to be a good use of limited resources.