Funding for the upgrade of non-public rural roads and laneways has been doubled to €21 million, Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys has announced.
The announcement will see an additional €10.5 million on top of the same figure that was allocated for investment under the 2021 Local Improvement Scheme (LIS).
It is intended to improve access to rural homes and farms as well as outdoor amenities such as lakes, rivers, mountains and beaches.
The focus of the scheme is rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities.
The scheme was launched in 2017 and over 10,000 landowners and residents have benefitted to date.
“There is strong demand for the LIS right across the country. Funding for the scheme was discontinued for a number of years and I know that this has led to a backlog in roads that require improvement works,” Minister Humphreys pointed out.
She said that the funding would be “vital for access to homes and farms in rural Ireland”.
“My department is engaging with each of the local authorities to establish the level of demand that can be met in each county before the end of the year.
“Once that process is complete, I will announce the specific allocations to be provided to each county from this increased funding,” the minister explained.
The additional funding will be delivered in the same manner as before. County councils will identify and prioritise roads for improvement works in consultation with residents and landowners. The works must be completed before the end of the year.
The funding provided by Minister Humphreys’ department will be “complemented” by a local financial contribution from landowners or householders, as well as local authority resources.
There will be a cap of €1,200 on the amount that any individual householder or landowner will be asked to contribute towards the cost of repairs to their road.