Owners of private lanes and roads in Donegal are to benefit from the doubling of the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) budget.
The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, today announced additional funding of €10.5 million for this year’s scheme.
The focus of the LIS 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, Minister Humphreys said.
“There is strong demand for the Local Improvement Scheme right across the country. Funding for the scheme was discontinued for a number of years and I know that this has led to a backlog in roads that require improvement works.”
She added: “That is why I am delighted to be in a position to double the level of funding available for the Local Improvement Scheme this year to €21 million. The roads that will be maintained through this investment are vital for access to homes and farms in rural Ireland.”
Here, Donegal County Council is responsible for identifying and prioritising roads for improvement works under the scheme, in consultation with residents/landowners.
The works must be completed before the end of the year.
To be eligible for an LIS grant, roads must be in private ownership and must: Provide access to at least two parcels of land owned or occupied by different persons, or provide access for harvesting purposes (including turf or seaweed) for two or more persons, or in
the opinion of the Council, be used by the public.
LIS was funded each year by a grant from the Department of the Environment.
A financial contribution must be received from the applicants towards the cost of the LIS.
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