Rural roads and lanes allocated further €16 million

An additional €16 million in funding has been announced for upgrade works on rural roads and laneways.

The funding was announced this morning (Friday, July 28) by Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys.

The funding will be used to carry out repairs and improvement works on rural roads and laneways in all counties, with the exception of counties Dublin and Kildare.

The funding, allocated under the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS), will be used to support the improvement of non-public roads and lanes that are not normally maintained by local authorities, according to the Department of Rural and Community Development.

The department said that such roads “represent a vital piece of infrastructure” for rural residents, providing access to homes, farms and businesses, as well as outdoor amenities such as lakes, rivers or beaches.

The funding of €16 million is more than double the funding allocation provided last year, and will allow local authorities to address the backlog of applications for funding that they currently face.

Today’s announcement brings to €30 million the amount of funding that has been allocated under the LIS this year, while almost €130 million has been allocated since the current LIS commenced in 2017.

Minister Humphreys commented: “Good roads are absolutely vital for our rural communities and this record investment under the LIS will make a huge difference in terms of access and connectivity.

“We are all familiar with the roads and laneways within our own communities that are full of potholes and in desperate need of repair.

“The funding being delivered under the scheme will help address this, benefiting so many of our families, businesses, and, in particular, our farmers,” the minister added.

She continued: “As someone who grew up on a farm myself, I know all too well what it is like when a milk truck cannot gain access to collect the milk. I know too how poor quality roads in rural Ireland can negatively impact on families and businesses.

Minister Humphreys said: “This funding is all about making people’s lives that bit easier and ensuring we have good access to homes, farms, businesses and local amenities.”

Since the scheme was reintroduced in 2017, around 3,700 roads have been funded for repair works.

The minister said that there is strong demand for funding under the scheme and that some local authorities have significant levels of applications on hand.

She urged local authorities to use the funding announced today and to complete the repair works on the selected roads as soon as possible in consultation with resident and landowners.

The table below outlines the allocation in this latest round of funding to each local authority (with the exception of the Co. Dublin authorities, Co. Kildare, and city councils):