Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher has called on the Government to reintroduce the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) for non-county and accommodation roads as part of Budget 2017.
He said hundreds of roads throughout Donegal require immediate improvement and upgrading and the only possibility of funding for these roads is the LIS programme.
The Fianna Fail Deputy said he is calling on the Government to reintroduce and provide funding for as part of the Budget process.
“Thousands of families, farms and residents depend on non-county, accommodation or abandoned county roads to access the roads network within the county. These LIS roads are the only access to and from their homes, farms and as such they depend on the road daily to go about their business and livelihoods.
“Previously these roads were grant aided by the Department and the local residents made a 10% contribution to the overall road grant, the road works would then be typically carried out by the County Council,” he said.
He added that the situation countywide at present is that with no LIS road grants available since 2010
“There is a legacy of roads deteriorating to a very poor state, becoming impassable and hazardous for safe travel,” he said.
Deputy Pat the Cope proposed that LIS road grants are brought back as part of a Rural Improvement Programme to assist rural communities and families living in rural areas and the development of Gaeltacht areas.
He said the LIS grants be focussed on roads on which people reside and live on, that it is their sole access road to the county roads network.
The former CLAR designated areas of which 85% of Donegal is covered and included by the former CLAR programme receive priority funding and that in Gaeltacht areas that a fully funded Boithre Aise programme be reintroduced and ring-fenced for the Gaeltacht areas, he said.
“It is imperative that the Government take action and deal with the absence of funding opportunities for non- county, accommodation and Gaeltacht roads as presently a great number of families are disadvantaged and inconvenienced by roads which are in poor state and greatly need repair and improvement but have no funding opportunity to avail of in order to carry out the necessary repairs,” concluded Pat the Cope.
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