A record funding allocation of €40 million has been announced this week for repairs and improvement works on non-public rural roads and laneways under the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS). 

It marks the highest ever allocation for the scheme, and aims to provide essential funding to improve road access to homes and farms in rural areas.

The allocation includes €1.1 million in ring-fenced funding for road upgrades on offshore islands in Cork, Galway, Donegal, Mayo and Sligo. 

Speaking as she announced the allocation this week, Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys said: “LIS is a critical source of funding for small non-public roads not normally maintained by local authorities.

“It’s a fantastic scheme under which the homeowners and farmers who use the lane make a small local contribution and the Government provides the balance of funding to ensure that people can access their homes and farms on good quality surfaces.”

The Minister revealed that in response to feedback, she has amended the LIS criteria so that only one herd number will be necessary for a valid LIS application; previously two were required.

She added that she is providing “greater flexibility so that local authorities can use their allocation throughout 2024 and 2025”. 

This announcement brings to a total of almost €170 million that has been allocated to local authorities under the scheme since it was reintroduced in 2017. 

 

The total allocations per local authority area are as follows:

County Allocation 2024/2025* Islands allocation 2024/25
Carlow €938,444  
Cavan €1,209,560  
Clare €2,079,722  
Cork €2,588,444 €280,000
Donegal €2,588,444 €200,000
Galway €2,588,444 €500,000
Kerry €2,569,237  
Kildare €1,074,515  
Kilkenny €1,304,899  
Laois €1,106,270  
Leitrim €966,074  
Limerick €1,689,216  
Longford €938,444  
Louth €938,444  
Mayo €2,554,159 €100,000
Meath €1,325,559  
Monaghan €938,444  
Offaly €1,264,386  
Roscommon €1,541,106  
Sligo €1,172,667 €20,000
Tipperary €2,517,026  
Waterford €1,183,358  
Westmeath €1,173,793  
Wexford €1,470,330  
Wicklow €1,279,015  
Total €39,000,000 €1,100,000
Overall Total €40,100,000