Boost as Kilkenny to receive Local Improvement Scheme funding of €288,900

It has been confirmed Kilkenny is to receive funding for the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) of €288,905.

Minister for Rural and Community Development Michael Ring has today announced that he will make €10 million available in a new round of funding for LIS. This will support the continued improvement of non-public rural roads that enable people to access their homes and farms. 

Minister Ring has also announced that the 2019 LIS will include a cap of €1,200 on the amount that any individual householder or landowner will be asked to contribute towards the cost of repairs to their road.

The Minister said the scheme continues to be a lifeline for people living in rural areas because it directly improves their access to and from their homes and farms.

"It is important to remember that many people living in rural areas use these roads every day, so when these roads fall into disrepair, it has a significant impact on them. By investing in the improvement of these roads we are helping to improve people’s quality of life in rural areas," he said.

“The upkeep of these roads is a priority for people who live in rural Ireland and this funding, in conjunction with the local community's own resources and the resources of the Local Authorities, will allow for the maintenance and improvement of many local roads in rural areas."

Speaking in relation to the cap on contributions from individuals, the Minister said he was conscious of the high cost of repairing some of the more remote rural roads and the impact this can have on the contribution which people living and farming along those roads can be asked to make.

"As part of the scheme in 2019 I am placing a cap of €1,200 on the amount that any individual householder or landowner will be asked to contribute towards the cost of repairs," he said.

“This small but important change to the scheme will, I believe, benefit many individuals and will facilitate the improvement of some of the more remote and sparsely populated roads in rural parts of the country.”