Written answer
Local Authorities
The Minister said Cork County Council had 177 local improvement scheme roads on its waiting list at the end of 2025 and received over €1.2 million under the increased 2026 funding. The Department does not hold municipal-district-level data, while the council manages priorities and allocations.
4261. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the measures being taken to address the urgent backlog in local improvement scheme applications for Cork County; to provide additional funding to Cork County for 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55929/26]
Comment on this
4262. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the number of local improvement scheme roads repaired in each Cork County Municipal District in each of the years 2023 to 2025 inclusive, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55930/26]
Comment on this
4263. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to provide details of Cork County waiting list of applications by each Cork County Municipal District; the measures he is taking to reduce this list for Cork County; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55931/26]
Comment on this
4264. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the amount that was spent on local improvement scheme roads in each Cork County municipal district in each of the years 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55932/26]
Comment on this
I propose to take Questions Nos. 4261 to 4264, inclusive, together.
The Local Improvement Scheme funds the upgrade of non-public rural roads and laneways, which are not usually maintained by local authorities. My Department reinstated the Scheme in 2017, and it currently serves as a central element of the overall Rural Development Investment Programme.
The LIS scheme remains highly popular nationwide and, since 2017, over €200 million has been allocated to local authorities, resulting in the improvement of over 5,500 roads being under this program.
I was pleased to launch the 2026 Local Improvement Scheme in February, supported by increased base funding of €17.55 million of which Cork County Council was allocated over €1.2 million.
While the Department provides LIS funding, local authorities administer the scheme and are responsible for managing waiting lists selecting and prioritising roads. Rather than being allocated on a municipal district basis, scheme funding is allocated by my department on a local authority basis and authorities themselves decide on allocations across their areas. Latest information from Cork County Council indicated that 177 roads were on a waiting list covering the local authority area as at end 2025. The Deputy may wish to contact Cork County Council for further information about the operation of the scheme at the local municipal district level.
While the Department do not capture data at municipal district level, I have outlined in the following tables the number of roads repaired by Cork County Council between 2023 - 2025 and the amount spent on LIS between 2022 - 2025.
My officials will closely monitor scheme spending to ensure that funding is fully utilised and that as many road improvements as possible are completed under the scheme this year. I will also seek to ensure, through the annual budgetary process, that this important scheme remains well funded in the years to come.
Table 1: Cork County Council LIS Roads repaired 2023-2025
Table 2: Cork County Council LIS allocation and spend 2022-2025