Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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233. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans to widen the criteria for eligibility to the local improvement schemes from the minimum of two persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10705/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) is a programme for improvement works on small private/non-public roads.  The eligibility criteria for the scheme are largely based on the Local Improvement Schemes Memorandum published in 2002 by the then Department of Environment and Local Government.

Eligible roads are non-public roads, often leading to houses and important community amenities such as graveyards, beaches, piers, mountains, etc., or other non-public roads that provide access to parcels of land, or provide access for harvesting purposes (including turf or seaweed) for two or more persons. There must be more than one landholder on an LIS road and the road must be open to the public.

I have no plans at present to change these criteria.  It is clear that there is a continuing demand for LIS funding in rural communities across Ireland based on these criteria. I recently announced the allocation of approximately €10 million for the scheme for 2018.  All Local Authorities have been notified of their indicative allocations and have been requested to submit lists of eligible roads to my Department by the end of March.