Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring, has announced that he has allocated €778,496 to Mayo County Council for improvements to rural non-public roads in Mayo under the 2019 Local Improvement Scheme (LIS ), which is overseen by the Department of Rural and Community Development.
This brings to €3,891,821 the amount allocated by Minister Ring to Mayo County Council for the upgrade of rural lanes and boreens since he re-introduced the Scheme in September 2017.
Minister Ring said: "The LIS makes a huge difference to people who live in remote rural areas. Over 155 roads in Mayo have been improved and upgraded since I re-introduced the Scheme last year. This further allocation will allow for many more roads in the county to be improved. I’m also delighted to confirm that I have amended the Scheme so that participants will pay a maximum contribution of €1,200 for improvements to their road.
"This is about improving small roads and laneways in rural Ireland which are not under the normal maintenance of the Local Authorities. Many lanes and boreens which link private homes and farms are not on the public road network and so are not maintained by Mayo County Council. The Local Improvement Scheme is therefore a very valuable support for rural families and businesses that use these roads on a daily basis.
"This scheme is a lifeline for people living in rural areas because it directly improves their access to and from their homes and farms. Many people living and working in rural areas use these roads every time they enter or leave their home or farm, so the condition of their access road really impacts on them. Investing in the improvement of these roads really makes a positive impact on people’s quality of life in rural areas.
"I reintroduced funding for the LIS in September 2017, after a gap of eight years. I know that the reintroduction of the scheme has already made a huge difference for rural communities in Mayo and around the country. Mayo County Council is responsible for identifying and prioritising roads for improvement works under the scheme.
"I cannot overstate how important local connectivity is in order to enable rural Ireland to function well. The Action Plan for Rural Development prioritises improving rural infrastructure and connectivity and continuing to support an LIS scheme is just one of the measures we are taking in that regard."
