Eight rural roads in Kildare will be upgraded, Fine Gael TD, Martin Heydon, has said.
The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) is about improving small roads and laneways in rural Ireland which are not under the normal maintenance of the Local Authorities.
The improvements to the eight roads in Kildare selected under this year’s LIS will make a huge difference to the people who use those roads multiple times each day.
Deputy Heydon said: “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.
“Many lanes and boreens which link private homes and farms are not on the public road network and so are not maintained by the Local Authorities.
The Local Improvement Scheme is therefore a very valuable support for rural families and businesses that use these roads on a daily basis.
“Some €250,000 funding has been allocated to Kildare County Council by my colleague Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring TD.
“I cannot overstate how important local connectivity is in order to enable rural Ireland and life in Kildare 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.”
Minister Ring said: “I reintroduced dedicated 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 around the country.
“The €27 million I have allocated for the scheme last year and this year will pay for the improvement of over 1,100 rural access roads.”