Written answer
Local Authorities
The 2026 Local Improvement Scheme allocated €527,400 to Cavan and €385,880 to Monaghan; 2027 funding will be determined in Budget negotiations.
702. Deputy David Maxwell asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht when the next allocation of funding under the local improvement scheme (LIS) will be announced for counties Cavan and Monaghan; the amount of funding expected to be allocated to each county. [66681/26]
Comment on this
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 is a central element of the overall Rural Development Investment Programme. The LIS scheme remains highly popular nationwide and, since 2017, over €201 million has been allocated to local authorities, resulting in the improvement of over 5,500 roads.
The 2026 scheme was launched in February with funding of €17.55 million. Within this, Cavan County Council has been allocated €527,400 and Monaghan County Council has been allocated €385,880 bringing the total allocation since 2017 to over €8 million for Cavan and over €6.9 million for Monaghan.
Funding for the 2027 Local Improvement Scheme will be finalised as part of the government's Budget 2027 negotiations. Local authorities will be advised of their 2027 allocations in Quarter 1 of 2027.