Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 May 2026
144. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will report on the local improvement scheme; the measures this supported in Meath; the funding allocated to LIS in budget 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37331/26]
View answerThe Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) provides for the upgrading of non-public rural roads and laneways that are typically not maintained by local authorities. It was reintroduced by my Department in 2017, and since then, over €201 million has been allocated to local authorities for the LIS.
In February this year, I was pleased to announce the launch of the 2026 scheme. This confirmed a Budget 2026 budget allocation of €17.55 million which represents an increase on the initial 2025 allocation. Meath County Council has been allocated a base allocation of €573,970 for works in 2026.
In 2025, Meath received an initial allocation of €548,771 and a subsequent mid year allocation of €286,016. This brought the full annual allocation to €834,787 and saw the completion of 13 roads under the scheme.
Since 2017, over €6.4 million has been allocated to Meath in LIS funding, resulting in the completion of 128 roads up to December 2025. This investment demonstrates my commitment to ensuring the scheme remains well funded nationally. As I have signalled previously, I will keep my Department’s spending under review with a view to reallocating any underutilised funds to schemes such as the LIS later in the year.
While the Department allocates funding, local authorities administer the scheme, and are responsible for the selection and prioritisation of eligible roads. My officials have engaged with local authorities who have submitted their priority lists of roads and received approval for inclusion in the 2026 scheme.
The scheme will be closely monitored to ensure funding is fully utilised and that as many road improvements as possible are completed under the scheme in 2026.
