Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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1182. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to provide an update on the local improvement scheme; the steps he is taking to address the fact that some roads will not be fixed for decades based on the rate at which progress is being achieved; if he will commit to increasing resources available to local councils; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63065/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Local Improvement Scheme or LIS is a key support to rural communities in improving non-public rural roads and laneways that are not typically maintained by local authorities. Since 2017, almost €184 million has been provided to local authorities under the Scheme.

While my Department provides funding for the scheme, it is fully administered by local authorities. Local authorities are responsible for the selection and prioritisation of roads as well as the management of applications and waiting lists.

Given the ongoing strong demand for funding under the Scheme, I was pleased to announce an additional €14 million in LIS funding nationally in 2025, bringing the total LIS allocation this year to €30 million which is a record investment in the Scheme.

This saw an additional €1.2 million allocated to Kerry County Council above its previous allocation of €1.02m which more than doubled its 2025 funding to over €2.22 million. The Programme for Government commits to the provision of additional funding for the LIS. €17 million in LIS funding was recently announced as part of Budget 2026. This represents an increase in base funding announced in previous years.

The 2026 Local Improvement Scheme is expected to be launched early next year. This will allow local authorities to plan and manage their resources in an effective manner. Details of the 2026 LIS, including county allocations and the scheme outline, will be circulated to local authorities and published on the department's website.