I welcome the announcement by Minister Heather Humphreys TD, for the Local Improvement Scheme for repairs and improvement works on non-public roads in rural communities.
“The funding will 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 to support the continued improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities, but which represent a vital piece of infrastructure for rural residents”.
“Since I re-introduced the scheme in 2017, when I was Minister in the Department of Community & Rural Affairs, over €68 million has been allocated nationally for these roads.
“Local Authorities are responsible for identifying and prioritising roads for improvement works under the scheme, in consultation with residents/landowners”.
“The funding provided by the Department of Rural and Community Development will be complemented by a local financial contribution from landowners/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”.