Brendan Smith urges restoration of Local Improvement Scheme

Minister as you know up until 2012 there was a specific funding stream within the Department of Transport towards local improvement scheme since that funding stream was abolished and there has been a huge dearth in a lack of activity in regard to bringing local improvement scheme applications and unfortunately there's a huge backlog now there's a much more minor scheme funded through the Department of Community and Rural Development I sincerely believe that if we're to tackle the backlog in the local improvement schemes nationally that that funding stream that existed in the past needs to be reintroduced and we need meaningful funding on an annual basis towards the local improvement scheme for each local authority. Thank you very much indeed Laskin-Court as you said proposed to take PQs 53 and 61 together. The maintenance of roads not taken in charge by local authorities is responsibility of the relevant landowners. The Local Government Act 2001 provides the statutory basis for the local improvement scheme. Under that scheme funding can be provided to local authorities for the construction and improvement of non-public roads that is roads which are not taken in charge by local authorities which meet the criteria set out in the Act. A contribution from the beneficiaries is required in all cases. Up to 2012 my Department did provide ring fence funding for this scheme however due to the major cutbacks in roads funding arising from the post- 2008 financial crisis. It was necessary for the Department to stop providing dedicated funding for the local improvement scheme in 2012 and there was no funding for the local improvement scheme in that year. After that from 2013 to 2017, while there was no separate allocation for the local improvement scheme, local authorities could use a portion of their discretionary grant for the local improvement scheme if they chose to do so. The reason this approach was taken was that it was considered that councils were best to concentrate whether to concentrate the limited grant funding available on public roads or to operate a local improvement scheme for non-public roads. In September 2017, the then Minister for Rural and Community Development, given the nature of that Department's responsibilities for communities in rural development, assumed lead responsibility for the LIS scheme and introduced dedicated funding for it. It was decided that it was decided that it was decided that it was decided that the option of allocating a portion of my Department's discretionary grant to LIS would no longer apply from 2018. The context for this decision was the continuing budgetary constraints relating to the regional and local road grants budgets. Project Ireland 2040 provides for a gradual increase in funding for regional and local roads but it will take some time to reach the level of investment needed to ensure that the public road network is being maintained adequately. primarily at the maintenance and renewable of the public, regional and local road network with some limited investment in road improvement projects. I understand that funding from the LIS will continue to be available from the Department of Rural Community Development in 2021. Thank you. Thank you. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. Deputy Smith. and a very necessary and welcome investment in bringing those roads up to the standard that the people deserve. The person living down the long laneway, they're paying their taxes, they're contributing to society, they're working hard, they are as entitled to have a road up to the proper standard as the person living in Dublin 4, Dublin 6 or Cork 123 or anywhere else in urban Ireland. We all fight to get public lighting and get paths developed in towns and villages. Our people in the rural communities deserve to have a standard of road leading to their home. Deputy, thank you. Thank you, Minister. Indeed, and we all do, and for safety and maintenance of vehicles, standards and so on, we do all deserve that. I would argue that the involvement of the Department of Rural and Community Development in this regard is appropriate, that they have similar to local authorities. Their specific remit is regarding particularly rural communities. These, by definition, tend to be, as you say, roads where you might have a small number of houses in rural locations on non-public roads. One can argue as to why that is, but they are roads that are not in responsibility or in charge of the local authority. One of the other reasons I think that the Department of Rural and Community Development is well-placed is that they're also involved in the Community Involvement Scheme, which they've been funding since 2017, and have been ring fence funding for that since 2017. And my understanding is that that role to permit local community participation in the repair of public local roads has been very successful, or is something that has been very beneficial to local communities, and again, where the Department of Rural and Community Development has real expertise. Thank you, Minister. We're over time. Thank you. Deputy? Thank you, Cancourt. Minister, I would argue that the Department of Communion and Rural Development has no statutory responsibility in relation to roads. When Eamon O'Keefe was Minister of Community and Rural Development, the CLAIR funding was a top-up, in addition to the Local Improvement Scheme funding directly from your department at that time. We need to have investment to reduce, in a meaningful way, the huge backlog. At present, my home county of Cavern, our Council are dealing with applications submitted in 2009. With the present level of funding for the existing applications, it will take 35 years to repair those laneways. That's not acceptable for any community, and it's not acceptable for any individual or family living along a road in such poor condition. Minister, I would ask you to ask your department to review this matter again. The funding that comes from the Department of Communion and Rural Development is welcome. It's not near enough. You're the main department that has responsibility for roads, and I would implore you, Minister, to take responsibility back and put in place adequate funding. Thank you, Laskin-Gorlin. Minister, to conclude. I think the key actors in this are the local authorities. The departments, whichever department, be it local or rural and development, or whether it be our own Department of Transport, in terms of the decisions, allocations, checking on whether money is correctly spent or whether the investment is the right one, that is a local authority responsibility. And yes, we have a real job working with the local authorities, but the key task we have is in maintaining the local public road network, where there is real budget constraints as well, and a need for investment in steady state maintenance, so that that road network is maintained in proper order. I've listened very clearly to what the Deputy said. I will talk with Minister Humphreys, whose responsibility, and look to see what further measures may be done in cooperation. But I just want the Deputy to be aware that the constraints that are there in our roads investment spending is a real one, and with various departments working together is the best way to solve this problem. I will commit to work with her.