'Local connectivity is vital' - Humphreys announces funding to repair rural roads in Carlow

Hundreds of rural roads and laneways all across Ireland are set to benefit from €11million in funding for their repair and improvement with County Carlow receiving €351,880.

News of the funding was announced on Tuesday (April 5) by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, under the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS). 

The funding will support the continued improvement of non-public roads and lanes - not normally maintained by local authorities - to provide access to people's homes and farms, as well as outdoor amenities like beaches. 

Speaking about the funding, Minister Humphreys said, "Local connectivity is vital for rural communities. Our Rural Future clearly recognises this. The Local Improvement Scheme is an important source of funding for small non-public roads and laneways leading to homes and farms or to amenities such as lakes, rivers and beaches." 

Galway has received the biggest individual allocation of €958,831, followed by Cork with €879,099 and Donegal with €716,560. 

All counties have received at least €300,000 as part of the initiative, with the exception of Waterford, which has received €92,910. 

Rural funding

Delighted to announce €11 million in funding for upgrades on rural roads and laneways.

The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) has now delivered over €90 million in funding since it was re-introduced in 2017.#OurRuralFuture pic.twitter.com/YxxzuGWOcr

— Heather Humphreys (@HHumphreysFG) April 5, 2022

According to the minister, over 3000 roads have been repaired since the LIS scheme was reintroduced in 2017. 

"I acknowledge that strong demand for this funding remains across the country. In some counties, local authorities have significant levels of applications on hand. My priority is to continue to fund the works on roads leading to agricultural holdings given their importance for farm families and our agriculture sector. 

"I would urge each local authority to utilise the funding announced today, and complete the repair works on the selected roads as soon as possible."

The funding is an increase of €500,000 on the initial 2021 allocation, with each county getting a boost in funding accordingly. 

Thanks to this top-up, over €90million has now been allocated to local authorities under the LIS. 

Funding will be complemented by a local financial contribution from landowners, as well as local authority resources. A cap of €1,200 will be placed on the amount any individual householder or landowner will be asked to contribute towards the cost of repairs to their road.

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