€700,000 has been granted to Cork County Council for the upgrade of local roads, according to North Cork Fine Gael Councillor John Paul O’Shea.
“I welcome the announcement by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring TD that County Cork is to receive €700,000 under the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS).
“This funding is for the improvement of small roads and laneways in rural parts of County Cork that are not under the normal maintenance of Cork County Council. It is used to carry out improvement works on private and non-publicly maintained roads. Often these roads lead to multiple residences, parcels of land that support agricultural activity or to amenities such as lakes, rivers or beaches.
“As a result, the road improvements carried out under this scheme make a huge difference for people living in rural areas accessing their homes and farms, and it is also used to improve local amenities such as graveyards and beaches for the benefit of the whole community as well as visitors. Cork County Council is responsible for identifying and prioritising roads for improvement works under the scheme.”
“Today a further €10 million has been made available nationally under the LIS. This is in addition to the €10 million allocated earlier this year to Local Authorities because Minister Ring has listened to the demand in local communities for further investment in their local roads. So it’s great that this additional €10 million is now available and it brings to over €37 million the amount of money allocated to Local Authorities by the Minister since he reintroduced the scheme last year”, Cllr. O’Shea said.
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring TD said “Since I reintroduced funding for the LIS in September 2017, improvement works have been carried out on over 1,100 roads that would not otherwise have been repaired as they are not under the normal maintenance of the local authorities. The funding I am announcing today will result in hundreds more being improved.
“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 in rural areas use these roads on every journey they take, so when these roads fall into disrepair, it has a significant impact on them. By investing in the improvement of these roads, the Government is helping to improve people’s quality of life in rural areas.”
The Minister concluded: “The Action Plan for Rural Development prioritises improving rural infrastructure and connectivity, and by supporting the LIS scheme we are doing just that. I am delighted that my Department is making such a positive impact on the lives of people who live and work in rural areas, through a whole range of measures such as the Town and Village Scheme, CLÁR, and the LEADER programme.”
