Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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33. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will outline, in relation to the local improvement scheme, the amount of funding available for County Meath under the scheme; the initiatives taking place in County Meath; if she plans to increase funding available to County Meath under the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20810/24]

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 usually maintained by local authorities. As part of Our Rural Future, the government is committed to ensuring that the LIS is funded in the future.

I recently announced over €40 million in funding for the 2024 and 2025 Schemes, having secured an additional once off funding in respect of 2024.

This announcement brings the total amount of funding provided for LIS by my Department since its establishment in 2017 to just under €170 million. This total funding has resulted in improvement works on over 4,000 roads, benefitting almost 20,000 landowners and residents in these rural areas.

Between 2017 and 2023 Meath was allocated €4,268,431 in funding. Furthermore, Meath has been allocated €1,325,559 under LIS for the period 2024/2025.

Local authorities are now in the process of applying to my Department for approval for proposed repair works on eligible roads this year and will have until November to complete these works.