Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Fine Gael)
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1716. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the timeframe for reintroducing the community involvement scheme, CIS, for Louth County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26067/16]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources supplemented by State road grants.  The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.

There has been a longstanding provision for local authorities to seek community involvement in the improvement and maintenance work on suitable local roads and to facilitate this, local authorities are permitted to allocate a portion of their State grant funding to eligible schemes.

A separate Community Involvement Scheme (CIS) pilot scheme did operate for two years in 2013 and 2014. Following its completion CIS reverted to the position where local authorities may set aside 7.5% of their RI and RM grants for CIS schemes if they so wish. Applications under the scheme are made directly to the local authority and managed by it.