The Local Improvement Scheme was relaunched in 2017. / David Ruffles
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The 2026 Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) has launched with a budget of €17.55m for repairs and improvement works on private rural roads and laneways.
Minister for Rural Development Dara Calleary announced the opening of the scheme on Wednesday, which saw a €2m funding increase in Budget 2026.
The €17.55m due to be spent in 2026 will take to over €200m the funds allocated to the Local Improvement Scheme since the programme was rebooted in 2017.
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Of those funds, €500,000 of the 2026 allocation has been ringfenced for roads on offshore islands.
“This scheme will improve hundreds of rural roads and laneways across the country and is a vital source of funding for non-public roads not normally maintained by local authorities,” Minister Calleary said.
Small local contribution
“It’s a fantastic scheme under which the homeowners and farmers who use the lane make a small local contribution and the Government provides the balance of funding to ensure that people can continue to access their homes and farms on good quality surfaces.”
Responsibility for identifying and prioritising roads for repairs or upgrades lies with local authorities, in consultation with residents/landowners.
Minister Calleary said that the launching of the scheme in February was intended to help local authorities better plan their work programmes for periods when weather conditions are favourable and works can best get underway.
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The 2026 Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) has launched with a budget of €17.55m for repairs and improvement works on private rural roads and laneways.
Minister for Rural Development Dara Calleary announced the opening of the scheme on Wednesday, which saw a €2m funding increase in Budget 2026.
The €17.55m due to be spent in 2026 will take to over €200m the funds allocated to the Local Improvement Scheme since the programme was rebooted in 2017.
Of those funds, €500,000 of the 2026 allocation has been ringfenced for roads on offshore islands.
“This scheme will improve hundreds of rural roads and laneways across the country and is a vital source of funding for non-public roads not normally maintained by local authorities,” Minister Calleary said.
Small local contribution
“It’s a fantastic scheme under which the homeowners and farmers who use the lane make a small local contribution and the Government provides the balance of funding to ensure that people can continue to access their homes and farms on good quality surfaces.”
Responsibility for identifying and prioritising roads for repairs or upgrades lies with local authorities, in consultation with residents/landowners.
Minister Calleary said that the launching of the scheme in February was intended to help local authorities better plan their work programmes for periods when weather conditions are favourable and works can best get underway.
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