Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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595. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if further funding will be made available in 2019 to assist counties in carrying out local improvement scheme works in the coming months; and the level of funding he expects to be allocated to each county council in this regard. [7943/19]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Local Improvement Scheme, or LIS, is a programme for improvement works on small private or non-public roads in rural areas. The scheme is funded by my Department and is administered through the Local Authorities.

As the Deputy may be aware, there was no dedicated funding for this scheme for a number of 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 reintroduced the LIS in September 2017 and allocated a total of €17.5 million to Local Authorities for LIS roads in 2017. In 2018, I allocated over €20 million for LIS roads in two phases, the second of which is currently being completed.

On 7^thFebruary 2019, I announced that I am making €10 million available in a new round of funding for LIS, and individual Local Authority allocations have been published on my Department's website.

I will be closely monitoring the scheme over the coming months and will make decisions regarding any further funding in due course.