The scheme has so far seen over 1,100 roads upgraded since 2017.
Private roads in Donegal, Galway, Cork and Mayo will undergo significant upgrades as part of the 2018 Local Improvement Scheme, it has been confirmed.
Announced on Monday by Minister for Rural Affairs, Michael Ring, the scheme will see a total of €10 million being allocated to County Councils nationwide in order to improve and upgrade a total of 435 private roads.
The Local Improvement Scheme is used for carrying out improvement works on private and non-publicly maintained roads. It was withdrawn in 2011 and subsequently re-introduced in 2017, during which time it led to over 1,100 roads being upgraded.
County allocation under the 2018 scheme is as follows:
Carlow – €250,000 – 15 roads
Cavan – €295,000 – 5
Clare – €482,000 – 13
Cork – €1,000,000 – 41
Donegal – €884,000 – TBC
Galway – €942,000 – 27
Kerry – €727,000 – 33
Kildare – €250,000 – 8
Kilkenny – €315,000 – 8
Laois – €264,000 – 9
Leitrim – €250,000 – 11
Limerick – €411,000 – 9
Longford – €250,000 – 13
Louth – €250,000 – 5
Mayo – €855,000 – 77
Meath – €359,000 – 8
Monaghan – €250,000 – 16
Offaly – €290,765 – 13
Roscommon – €370,290 – 56
Sligo – €282,000 – 10
Tipperary – €625,582 – 17
Waterford – €282,000 – 12
Westmeath – €282,000 – 9
Wexford – €360,000 – 14
Wicklow – €310,000 – 6
TOTAL – €10,836,637 – 435
Commenting on the scheme, Minister Ring said: “The Local Improvement Scheme is about improving small roads and laneways in rural Ireland which are not under the normal maintenance of the Local Authorities.
“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.”
