Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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274. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development when work will commence on the 2022 local improvement scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10187/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities. As part of 'Our Rural Future',the Government is committed to ensuring that the LIS is funded into the future. This reflects the important contribution which the scheme makes to connectivity in rural Ireland.

I launched the 2021 Scheme with an initial budget of €10.5 million. I was very pleased to source additional funding during the year and allocated a further round of funding to bring the total for 2021 to €21 million.

I was also pleased, as part of Budget 2022, to announce an increase in the base funding for LIS from €10.5 million in 2021 to €11 million this year. I expect to launch this year's scheme in the coming weeks.