Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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214. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his proposals to reinstate the local improvement scheme, including if he proposes to allocate specific funding to local authorities in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13933/16]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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​The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) remains in place.  This Scheme provides funding for private roads and laneways, the maintenance and improvement of which is, in the first instance, a matter for the relevant landowner.  While the LIS does not have a ring-fenced allocation in 2016, local authorities may use a proportion of State grant funding (15% of the Discretionary Grant) for LIS should they wish to do so.  In addition Councils can also provide monies from their own resources towards LIS.

The Programme for a Partnership Government provides that, as the economy recovers, the Government will promote increased funding for Local Improvement Schemes, on an annual basis. A major objective for the new Government will be to prioritise new investment in local and regional road maintenance and improvements, and LIS funding will be promoted in that context.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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215. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide additional funding for necessary upgrading and repair on the road network, given the deteriorating condition of many non-national roads, and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13934/16]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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​The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads in its area is a statutory function of local authorities in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act, 1993.  Works on such roads are a matter for the relevant local authority to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants.  The initial selection and prioritisation of projects to be funded from these monies is a matter for each local authority.

In addition to the 2016 regional and local road allocations announced in January this year, my predecessor announced a further €85m in additional funding for regional and local roads in February this year as part of the Tranche 1 funding to local authorities to remedy damage caused by severe weather.  On 27 May I approved a further allocation under Tranche 2 of the severe weather funding to local authorities as notified through Circular RW 9/2016. All available funding for 2016 has now been allocated.

When allocating grant funding my Department has emphasised that the commitment of local authorities to contribute significantly from their own resources towards the cost of improving and maintaining the regional and local roads network is essential and that full consideration needs to be given to utilising the Local Property Tax to boost own resources expenditure on regional and local road maintenance and renewal.