Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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272. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development when each local authority will be advised as to its local improvement scheme allocation for 2021; the reason for the delay in same given that nearly one quarter of 2021 has elapsed without these allocations being made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16161/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) is just one of a number of initiatives funded under my Department's Rural Development Investment Programme.  This Programme also includes the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, LEADER, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, CLÁR and the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme.

The Local Authorities are heavily involved in the delivery of these programmes and my Department tries to ensure that the launch of the programmes each year is done in a planned way, with staggered opening and closing dates to allow the Local Authorities to plan and manage their resources in engaging with communities and preparing applications under the different schemes.

I launched the CLÁR programme on 15th March and I will be announcing details of the other schemes, including the LIS, over the coming weeks.  The LIS allocation for 2021 for each Local Authority will be announced at that stage.

The overall LIS budget for 2021 is €10.5 million, an increase of 5% on last year.