Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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264. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to replace and-or renew the community involvement scheme and the local improvement scheme; if he is aware of the increased deterioration of many roads in rural Ireland, which would benefit from increased funding through the continuation of such schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33727/15]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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A separate pilot Community Involvement Scheme (CIS) was run in 2013 and 2014. The scheme has reverted back to allowing local authorities to set aside 7.5% of their Restoration Improvement (RI) and Restoration Maintenance (RM) grants for CIS schemes if they so wish. The Local Improvement Scheme remains in place but there is no separate allocation available towards this grant category. Instead local authorities may use up to 15% of their initial Discretionary Grant towards Local Improvement Schemes should they wish to do so. The local contribution for these schemes remains at 20% of the total cost of the project. I take the view that local authorities are best placed to assess whether funding should be allocated to LIS.

In addition to the funding provided at the start of the year, a further €24 million (Stimulus) was allocated to local authorities in July 2015 under Restoration Improvement Programme and local authorities were allowed to use up to 20% of their additional Restoration Improvement Grant towards CIS and 10% towards LIS should they wish to do so.