Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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320. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will provide specific funding to local authorities in 2018 for the local improvement scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2619/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Local Improvement Scheme supports improvement works on private, non-public roads, to improve access for people who live or work along those roads.

There has been very little funding available for this scheme in recent years due to constraints on public expenditure.  However, I was very conscious of the underlying demand for the scheme in rural areas throughout the country.

I therefore announced the provision of €10 million to Local Authorities for a Local Improvement Scheme last September.  Based on demand and the capacity of Local Authorities to complete works before the end of 2017, I allocated an additional €7.4 million to Local Authorities for LIS roads at the end of November.

It is clear that there is a continuing demand for LIS funding in rural communities across Ireland, and I have therefore secured an allocation of €10 million for the scheme in my Department's Estimate for 2018.  I intend to announce details of the scheme shortly.