Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 687: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, with regard to local improvement scheme funding for local roads, which has been suspended for 2012, if he will give an assurance that this scheme will be funded again out of next year's road money in order to deal with the long waiting list that we have in every country including County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14218/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The current and capital expenditure for regional and local roads will be reduced significantly over the next few years. In making adjustments to the regional and local roads budget the primary aim has been, and will continue to be, 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.

As you are aware, the maintenance and improvement of non-public roads is, in the first instance a matter for the relevant landowner. Given this, the decision was taken to suspend this scheme in respect of 2012. If and when the financial position of the State improves, I will examine the possibility of re-opening this scheme.

Any new scheme would have to take account of the large number of non-public residential roads and management company estates in urban areas which did not avail of the LIS in the past, and have to pay for the repair and upkeep of their roads through management company fees and on off levies, etc. In the interim, it is open to individual local authorities to fund this scheme, or a version of it, from their own resources.