Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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628. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development to outline, in tabular form, the amount of funding granted under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund to projects in County Donegal, disaggregated by year funding was granted, title of project, amount of funding currently drawn down and estimated completion date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6437/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns, villages and rural areas across Ireland.

To date, 215 projects have been approved for RRDF funding of €415 million for projects costing €571 million.

RRDF funding of €40.3 million has been allocated to 14 projects located in County Donegal. The table below lists the details of projects approved for funding in Donegal, as requested by the Deputy.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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629. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount of funding granted to each county under the local improvement scheme for each year from 2017 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6438/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) supports the improvement of non-public 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. The scheme makes an important contribution to connectivity, which I view as an important issue for rural Ireland, whether it be access to homes, farms or outdoor amenities.

The Scheme was reintroduced by my Department in 2017 following a number of years without dedicated funding. Since then, almost €130 million has been invested in the scheme.

The table below sets out the overall funding allocated on a county basis from 2017 - 2023:

A total of €13.55 million has been allocated to LIS in 2024, and my Department is currently finalising the scheme details for the coming year.

I intend to continue to seek the support of my colleague, the Minister for Transport, with a view to co-funding the LIS, in particular to address the strong demand that continues to exist for the scheme.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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630. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she is aware of the severe backlog of applications on hand with Donegal County Council under the local improvement scheme as the annual funding provided to date has not been sufficient to clear it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6439/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As part of Our Rural Future, the Government is committed to ensuring that the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) is funded into the future. This reflects the important contribution which the scheme makes to connectivity in rural Ireland.

As you know, the scheme was re-introduced in 2017 following several years with no dedicated funding. Between 2017 and 2023, my Department has allocated almost €130 million towards improvement works on over 4,000 non-public roads and lanes. These works have benefitted almost 20,000 landowners and residents in these rural areas.

In 2023 alone, I allocated almost €30 million in funding for LIS. This represents the highest ever annual investment under LIS and was the third consecutive year in which funding allocated to the scheme has increased. This reflects the priority that I have afforded to the scheme in recent years.

Last year over €1.99 million in funding was granted to Donegal County Council, including LIS funding for the repair of Island roads, bringing the total amount allocated to Donegal since 2017 to more than €11 million. This equates to 8.8% of the total funding to date, and the is largest investment in any county under the Scheme.

My officials liaise closely with local authorities to ensure that allocations are utilised fully each year. While my department funds LIS, it is administered by local authorities who prioritise road projects and establish eligibility as per Section 81 Local Government Act 2001.

Though much progress has been achieved in recent years, there still remains a waiting list of roads to be completed in Donegal and indeed nationwide.

A total of €13.55 million has been allocated to LIS in 2024 and my Department is in the process of finalising the terms of the Scheme with a view to addressing the backlog and to launch the Scheme as early as possible to ensure local authorities are given every opportunity to complete as many roads as possible.

Finally, I wish to re-iterate my commitment to funding the Local Improvement Scheme as I understand its importance to rural communities. My officials continue to engage with all local authorities in relation to the management of LIS waiting lists.

In addition, I have been in ongoing communication with my colleague, the Minister for Transport regarding his Department possibly contributing to a jointly funded LIS scheme which would allow us to more rapidly address the demand under the Scheme

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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631. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will consider increasing the overall funding allocated by her Department under the local improvement scheme to assist in clearing the severe backlog of applications on hand with Donegal County Council under the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6440/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Local Improvement Scheme 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.

The scheme was reintroduced in 2017 following several years with no dedicated funding. Between 2017 and 2023, my Department has allocated almost €130 million towards improvement works on over 4,000 non-public roads and lanes. These works have benefitted almost 20,000 landowners and residents in rural Ireland.

Last year alone, my Department invested almost €30 million in LIS funding - the highest amount invested in the Scheme since 2017. My Department works closely with local authorities to ensure that funds are utilised fully and to ensure as many roads as possible are completed each year.

The selection of roads to be funded under the scheme is a matter for each local authority based on the priority or condition of particular roads in their county. Local authorities may rely on existing lists of eligible roads and/or advertise for new applicant roads. There is, however, a backlog of roads awaiting repair under the scheme, despite progress made under the Scheme in recent years.

A total of €13.55 million has been allocated to LIS in 2024, and my Department is currently finalising the scheme details for the coming year.

I will closely monitor the expenditure patterns in my Department, and should savings emerge, I will consider allocating additional funding to the scheme.

Finally, I am continuing to engage with my colleague, the Minister for Transport regarding his Department contributing to a jointly funded Local Improvement Scheme.