Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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573. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will address the case of persons (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27531/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, 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 which are not under the normal maintenance of the Local Authorities. The scheme is funded by my Department and is administered through the Local Authority

In any given year, the demand under the scheme exceeds the funding available. It is a matter for each Local Authority to prioritise roads for inclusion under the scheme.

Eligible road projects include those that involve the construction or improvement of non-public roads which provide access to parcels of land of which two or more are owned or occupied by different persons engaged in separate agricultural activities.

My priority this year is to continue to fund works on roads leading to agricultural holdings given their importance for farm families and our agriculture sector. There is already a significant level of applications with Local Authorities for such roads based on the existing criteria and I want to address this demand before considering any widening of the scope of the scheme.