I am glad to get the opportunity today to raise this and ask the Tánaiste for increased funding to deal with local improvement scheme applications in Kerry next year. It is only just around the corner. Some 678 schemes are on the list and were applied for in 2018. More than 90 of them are on a list since 2007 and were included in the 2018 scheme. These are public roads which were never taken in charge by the local authority. They are not private roads. Some 20 or more homes are on many of these roads and nine or more farmers are using them on a daily basis to access their homes.

We got an increased allocation of approximately €480,000 last year which brought us up to €1,187,099. We got 19 roads done last year, to a high standard, by Kerry County Council, which does a very good job. However, there has been no element of funding for emergency hardship schemes which was always made available through the local improvement scheme, LIS. The people who live on these roads pay all their taxes; road, property, PAYE and income tax.

They pay their way and they have no public transport. Farmers pay water charges and have to pay more to get their cars through the NCT because of damage and more wear and tear on bad roads. All I ask on behalf of the people of Kerry is fair play. Smaller counties with fewer applications are getting more funding to do their roads. I will not name them as I do not want to put any other county down to put Kerry up. I ask for fairness for the people of Kerry.

I ask the Government to be fair to people in these rural areas. People living on these roads are entitled to good roads to their door, the same as people in Dublin 4. These roads are not private; they are public. There are carers, nurses and doctors using them to get to people who are sick on a daily basis or several times a day to keep people living at home. This is a serious matter. They have no option other than to use these roads. They want to stay living in these places as long as they can but we must do our bit to help them. Over the years, the Department made 80% of the funding available. They will pay their contribution. They have never refused to do so. I thank the Tánaiste.

I thank the Deputy. The local improvement scheme is an important transport scheme. It provides for the improvement of roads all over the country which are not formally taken in charge by the local authority but which, were they in urban areas, probably would be because they access multiple households and, in some cases, multiple farms and businesses. A total of €10.5 million was provided for the scheme in 2021, which was double the allocation seen, for example, ten years ago. An extra €10.5 million was also granted during the year. Kerry County Council got an increase based on what it applied for when invited.

I cannot give any commitments for next year but I will talk to the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, about this. I know Deputies Danny Healy-Rae, Michael Healy-Rae, Griffin and Foley are all ad idem that they would like to see additional funding for the LIS in Kerry and across the country through the course of 2022.

I undertake to speak to the Ministers, Deputy Humphreys and Michael McGrath, about that because we will see unspent capital funding by many Departments this year and probably next year. The LIS is a good scheme to divert money into during the course of the year. If a Department cannot spend its capital allocation for some reason, perhaps because a big project is delayed or there is some issue like that, the LIS is the perfect scheme to divert money into so allocations do not go unspent. I thank that will happen next year.

I thank the Tánaiste. In the past, we did 111 roads in two consecutive years. Kerry County Council has the capacity to deal with any funding that is left over and all the Deputies from Kerry will work together. I have raised this matter several times. If we only get 19 roads done every year, it will take us 35 or 36 years to get through the 678 roads left on the list. There are places like Kilcummin, Gneeveguilla, Scartaglin, Currow, Currans, Farranfore and Firies and all around south Kerry with multiple roads to be dealt with. These people need fair play. They pay everything they are asked to pay. I named out all the taxes they pay. They need assistance and fair play. Urban areas have all different modes of transport and fine roads but these people are left behind. Since 2007, there are 90 of these. If we have to wait 38 years, I will not be around. Deputy Griffin might, but many of us here will not be there if it takes that long. I ask for fair play. Other counties are doing better and we have to come up the line.

I thought for a minute the Deputy was going to name all 638 roads.

Do not tempt fate.

I know most of them.

I would say you do.

There was a prolonged period during the recession when the LIS was suspended. Things have changed and the budget last year was €10 million, with an additional €10 million. It was probably the highest budget for the LIS in many years. I am not sure why Kerry did not get more roads done. I do not know the intricacies and details of that.

We did not get the money.

It is important that local authorities make submissions for additional money. There will be a budget for the LIS next year. It is important that the work gets started in the spring or summer and is not left until the end of the year when sometimes it is too late. I envisage through the course of 2022 that if we see there are underspends in particular Departments and those Departments are not able to proceed with certain capital works, this is an ideal scheme, among others, to put additional money into. I encourage local authorities to get ready for that and have projects ready to bid for additional funding, should it become available.

I thank the Tánaiste and I thank Deputy Ring for reactivating the scheme.