Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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910. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the rationale for the decision to remove approval authority from local authorities for local improvement scheme, LIS, road funding; his views on whether this is an undermining of locally elected council members, the professional staff of local authorities, for example, road engineers that previously have approved and inspected these applications; the advice received on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12089/18]

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 scheme is currently funded by my Department and administered through the Local Authorities.

Following on from the success of the LIS scheme which I launched last year, I announced details of the 2018 LIS scheme at the end of February 2018.

I have made an indicative allocation to each Local Authority for this year, based broadly on the area of the relevant county. Each Local Authority is required to submit a list of the roads they intend to include in the scheme to my Department by the end of March. However, all decisions regarding the roads to be included in the scheme are entirely a matter for the Local Authorities. This is stated clearly in the scheme documentation issued to the Local Authorities by my Department.

There has, therefore, been no removal of the authority of the Local Authorities to approve the roads under the LIS scheme.