Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 May 2024
5. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department is taking any action regarding obstacles that can arise in carrying out projects under the local improvements scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20905/24]
View answer7. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will significantly increase the allocation from her Department to the local improvement scheme. [20838/24]
View answer9. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department has received any request for drawdown of funds in respect of local improvement scheme works not completed in 2023 from any local authority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20731/24]
View answer28. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she is concerned with the broad variance of outcomes in terms of numbers of roads completed per funding per local authority under the local improvement scheme; if she will consider measures to examine whether local authorities are achieving value for money with the funding provided by her Department; if she will specifically examine how Mayo County Council can have completed 549 road improvements since 2017 with just marginally more funding than Kerry County Council, where just 196 roads were completed in the same period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20867/24]
View answer41. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the total amount of funding made available for the LIS since her Department was established in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20892/24]
View answerIn the context of the LIS, I welcome last week's announcement. I am raising this matter to tease out the matter of the amount of funding that was allocated and also the change to the criteria. I would welcome some clarification from the Minister on that. Where one person on a lane refuses point-blank to participate - either financially or even to sign the form to let others do it - is there any way to get around that?
I propose to take questions Nos. 5, 7, 9, 28 and 41 together.
The LIS supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by the local authorities. I am acutely aware of the importance of the scheme to rural landowners and residents. That is why, as part of Our Rural Future, the Government is committed to ensuring that the LIS is funded into the future.
The scheme was reintroduced by my Department in 2017 following a number of years with no dedicated funding. Between 2017 and 2024, my Department has allocated almost €170 million to local authorities under the scheme. This has been used to upgrade, up to the end of 2023, over 4,000 non-public roads and lanes, which has benefited almost 20,000 landowners and residents in rural areas. I have ensured that the base funding for the scheme has increased year on year in recent years. I have also prioritised the scheme for additional funding where savings have emerged in my Department as the year has progressed.
I am happy to confirm that I have also secured additional once-off funding for the scheme this year. On foot of this, I recently announced €40 million in funding to cover work under the scheme across 2024 and 2025. This demonstrates my commitment to ensuring that improvement and upgrade works continue on eligible roads under the terms of the scheme. The announcement of the funding for both 2024 and 2025 will also allow local authorities to plan more effectively for work to be carried out in the medium term, thus facilitating better delivery on the ground.
While my Department provides funding for the scheme, it is administered by the local authorities. The latter are also responsible for the selection and prioritisation of roads. It is a matter for each local authority to determine eligible roads for inclusion under the scheme criteria in any given year, and to decide whether or not to open the scheme to new applicants or to focus on existing lists. I am aware of the importance of the works funded under the scheme across the country and of some of the obstacles that local authorities can encounter. With this in mind, my officials engage with local authorities on an ongoing basis regarding the scheme and work to address any issues as they arise.
In designing the scheme for this year, I have some important changes to the eligibility criteria following feedback received from various stakeholders. Local authorities are now in the process of submitting their lists of priority roads eligible under the terms of this year's scheme for approval. Once approval has been granted, local authorities will have until November to complete works and draw down their 2024 funding. As I said, my Department officials will, as always, work closely with each local authority to ensure funding is fully utilised. Local authorities can then submit their 2025 priority lists in January to ensure that as much time as possible is allowed for the completion of works.
On the question posed by Deputy Moynihan, drawdown of funds under the LIS is based on completed works and eligible expenditure per the terms of the scheme. My Department did not receive any requests from local authorities for drawdown of funds in respect of local improvement scheme works not completed in 2023. Funds under the scheme are only released to local authorities upon receipt of fully-completed documentation, which includes a list of completed roads.
Within my Department, the operation of the scheme is reviewed each year. The process for allocating funding is thoroughly examined to ensure that funds are distributed in such a way as to ensure that local authorities fully utilise their allocations to complete repair works on as many eligible roads as possible. As already stated, local authorities are - in my view, quite rightly - responsible for administering this scheme on the basis of local need. The scheme outline provides guidance to local authorities regarding the selection and prioritisation of roads in an effort to ensure a consistent and uniform approach by all local authorities.
Projects that most require attention should be prioritised and consideration should also be given to other factors such as the condition of the road, the number of beneficiaries, how many parcels of land are served, accessibility issues and estimated costs. The condition of roads varies from county to county, and this is one of the range of factors that may account for disparities between counties. Other factors include the geographic location and terrain of particular roads, and the availability of contractors and suppliers to underpin delivery. It is also of note that local authorities are required under the terms of the scheme to abide by the relevant procurement rules and procedures. The scheme also includes a rule that no individual road project which exceeds 20% of the total annual allocation to a local authority can be approved.
Following the recent announcement of funding, each local authority has been advised of its allocation across 2024 and 2025, including those in receipt of a separate allocation for works specifically on our offshore inhabited islands.
I have again included an additional ring-fenced allocation for works to be carried out on eligible roads on offshore islands.
I reiterate my commitment to ensuring this important scheme is funded into the future. As the Deputies will be aware, I have made a number of requests for co-funding to be provided by my colleague the Minister for Transport, and I will continue to pursue those requests. I am confident that my Department will continue to work in close co-operation with the local authorities to ensure that the LIS delivers important benefits across rural Ireland in an efficient and effective manner.
I thank the Minister for that comprehensive reply. Nobody can doubt her commitment to rural Ireland, that is for sure. I have a few questions I ask her to clarify. The funding that was announced covers 2024 and 2025, but it specifies exactly how much can be spent in each of those years. The requirement to have two herds has been reduced to one herd, but it also says that there must be a second parcel of land. It recommends that the second parcel of land must be a minimum of 1 ha. Is that a requirement or a recommendation?
I refer to a scenario in which one landowner who is affected by a scheme point blank refuses to participate. There is an option for someone to refuse to financially participate, but there is a requirement that they give their permission. What happens in a scenario such as that where one person holds up a scheme that would benefit multiple landowners? Can the Minister confirm if she has plans to tackle that?
I thank the Minister for taking these questions. The LIS is extremely important to rural areas, as she well knows. In County Clare, 172 applications have been approved. Clare County Council estimates that even though these are approved applicants, it will take eight to nine years to fulfil them on the basis of the current funding model. As Deputies, we receive announcements. We received one a couple of weeks ago. I thought it was brilliant that we were getting extra funding. When I read through the email, however, I saw that the funding would be across two years. Last year, Clare County Council got €1.3 million for one calendar year. Now, it is getting €2 million for two calendar years. The Minister referred to the 2024-25 period. Is this for two full calendar years or is it akin to a sporting season where one year runs into the other? If this is the current funding model, it will set us further back. It will mean that people in Clare will be waiting for more than a decade to get their roads done. The funding falls well short of what is needed in County Clare.
I thank the Minister for her response. I want to raise with her a matter that Tommy Griffin, our candidate in the Corca Dhuibhne electoral area, raised with me. He did a detailed analysis of the LIS figures per county per annum. He established that the council in Mayo, which has marginally more finance, has done 549 roads since 2018. Kerry received slightly less funding, but it was still only able to do 194. Unless the roads in Mayo are way shorter and narrower than those in Kerry, there seems to be something wrong. Will the Minister look at the massive variation between the number of roads that are resurfaced by local authorities for the same money? It does not add up that the average cost per road in Mayo is approximately €17,000 and that it is almost four times that amount in Kerry and other counties. Other counties have done very well in displaying efficiency ,so there must be something wrong. I wonder if every local authority is getting value for money.
I also want to raise the need for additional funding for the LIS in County Clare. There are a number of live applications, but the local authority has advised that it does not have the necessary funding to include a number of them on the roads programme for this year. I recently raised the case of an area of where people cannot even get deliveries of food or heating oil to their homes. Also, a brand-new car was bought in the locality and has been severely damaged. I welcome the recent announcement of additional funding, but the members of Clare County Council have advised that the sum could be quadrupled to approximately €13.5 million. That is a shortfall. In areas like west Clare, which has the highest number of applications in the county so far, it is really impacting rural living.
I was reared in a lane that is nearly a mile long. I know all about these lanes, and I have to say that nobody has been more committed to providing LIS funding than me. At the end of each year, if I had any extra money I lorried it into the LIS because I know how important the latter is to support people who live in rural Ireland. Since 2017, €170 million has been invested in the LIS.
A few questions were raised. Basically, the new rules mean there must be one farm or one house. I do know where the issue of the hectare, which Deputy Troy raised, comes in there. I will have to check that and come back to him. Regarding the issue of the a landowner who will not sign up, I honestly do not know what I can do. Maybe the officials in the local authority should speak to my officials to see if we can do something about that. With the new criteria, does he have to give permission? I do not know. It is a specific case.
Regarding Clare, which Deputies Crowe and Wynne raised, the council should spend this money. It has its allocation. When that is spent, I ask that the council come back to me. If I have any extra money, I assure the Deputies I will put it into the LIS. However, I want to give a bit of certainty by rolling it out over the two years. The Deputies and I know that local authorities love that. When it comes to doing the roads, there is a big panic at the end of the year because the weather might not be the right. Yet, they now know what they have. If more is needed and if any money is left over at the end of the year, I will allocate it to the LIS. I will keep it under review over the year because I know how important this scheme is and I am happy to support it in every way I can.
In reply to Deputy Griffin, I do not understand why Kerry cannot do as many roads as Mayo. I suggest that the officials in Kerry County Council give their counterparts in Mayo a call because it seems to me that they cannot do as many roads. I was speaking with a county manager at one stage. That person referred to using recycled tar - I am referring to the scrapings that come off the roads - to bring down the cost, and this could be used in the context of the LIS. I do not know if that is being done by any of the local authorities, but we should be looking at those types of ideas because we might get more lanes completed.
I could paper the walls with the letters I receive and send. I have sent a right number letters to the Minister for Transport. If he matched my money, we would be flying and would get rid of all the lists.
To be fair, the Minister has been very strong in this area. I take this opportunity to acknowledge that. All money that is allocated to Westmeath will be spent. I can confirm that. I welcome that the Minister will come back to clarify the position, but I spoke to the official in Westmeath who runs the scheme. It does say that even though they are reducing their requirements for herd numbers, it is recommended that there is a second parcel of land, which must be a minimum of 1 ha. It is a recommendation, not a requirement. As a result, it is a grey area. If the Minister could bring clarity to that I would welcome it.
There is the fact that the criteria changed when the Minister announced the new funding. Is the Minister asking the councils to go out and open that up again? I ask because some councils, such as that in Westmeath, had their lists ready. Clearly, however, they would have excluded some people before the criteria changed. Is there now a requirement to include those criteria?
While I did mention a specific case in Westmeath where one landowner prevented work from going ahead, this is something that could happen across the country. There is a requirement that all people who would benefit must sign the form. If someone refuses to sign the form, that puts other people at a disadvantage. This is something the Minister needs to look at in terms of changing the criteria. It is not fair that one landowner can hold up work that would be to the benefit of multiple landowners.
I thank the Minister for her engagement and for her answer. I have looked at the funding for last year and this year. Many counties have gained. Clare could be unique - I accept that there may be more counties involved - because it has seen a diminution in funding. I am a Government backbencher. Across nearly all funding streams I can think of - including sports capital funding, the announcement of which happened last night - moneys are increasing by most metrics. I do not know if this was an oversight because most counties have done extremely well.
I would love if the departmental officials could look back at Clare. It looks like a great deal of money is going to Clare. When it is spread across two years, however, it boils down to a reduction.
I wish to make a constructive suggestion about the timing of these announcements. They come out at the end of April or early May when the council is flat out with its summer road works problem. A councillor suggested to me that it would be wonderful if this could be announced late in the winter or very early in the spring in order that it could be factored into roadworks. Many local authorities find themselves under pressure in autumn and early winter to complete the works they are planning to do. That money needs to be topped up for County Clare. I hope the Minister can could look at it again.
I welcome the recent allocation of funding nationwide. I particularly welcome the funding for Kerry because is very badly needed. I again call on the Minister, Deputy Ryan, if he is watching, to put some money on the table for the LIS from his Department's budget. He has plenty of money in that budget.
I wish to emphasise some of the figures that Tommy Griffin gave me. I think this matter warrants further scrutiny by the Minister. In the past four years in Kerry, 73 roads were completed for €4.9 million. The average cost per road was €67,256. In the same four years in County Mayo, 242 roads were completed for €4.3 million. The average cost was only €17,656 per road. This matter needs to be examined. The national average cost is about half of the average cost per road in Kerry. Some counties are performing very well. Mayo is performing extremely well compared with Kerry. We need to bear in mind that we have over 600 roads waiting for improvement. If Kerry County Council is only doing only 73 roads in four years for €4.9 million, there is something radically wrong. The departmental officials need to talk to the people in Kerry County Council and bring them on a fact-finding mission to Mayo because these roads need to be improved.
I thank the Deputies for their contributions. I will ask the officials to speak to Kerry County Council. There is a big difference in the average cost of the of the lanes. Are there longer lanes in Kerry? That is the only thing I do not know.
They would want to be very long.
They seem to be doing fewer of them. We should look at the number of kilometres that are covered. That would probably be a good indication. I am happy to engage. I have reviewed the criteria.
I will come back to Deputy Troy on the part about the second parcel of land needing to be a minimum of 1 ha. I am not sure; I am not across the finer details. We leave it up to the discretion of the local authorities. I take his point. Does it need everybody living on the lane? Does it still qualify without this person who will not sign? I do not know but my gut feeling would be that they go ahead and improve their lane. I will talk to the officials about that. I will ask Westmeath County Council to engage with my departmental officials on those details. Ultimately, I want to help people and that is why I changed the criteria.
I left it up to local authorities to review the applications that did not qualify if they so desired. I am aware of some people who discovered that they did not qualify on the basis of the old criteria, and now they do qualify. They have been told that they need to go to the bottom of the list. The fact that they were on the list for many years should be taken into consideration. The local authorities have a bit of flexibility in what they do. We have to leave it with them. From 2017 up to the end of 2025, Clare will have receive €8.3 million in funding for the roads. That is well in excess of Westmeath, which will get €4.6 million. Mayo will get €10.7 million, Kerry will get €10.3 million and Cork, which is a big county, will get €12.5 million.
It is a reduction on last year.
I will tell the Deputy what happened last year. We sent a call out to local authorities to tell us what they could spend and to put in the amount. Some local authorities told us they could not spend any money. I am not saying that is the case with Clare. Some local authorities were very ambitious in their spend. They got it spent and got their lanes completed. Some local authorities did not think they would be able to do as much. Therefore, they did not get as much because they did not ask for as much. I gave them all 70% of what they were looking for. I am not sure if that is the case in Clare. I will check it out.
