10. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he plans to increase the funding allocation for the local improvement scheme for County Cork in 2026 given the large number of unfunded applications, particularly in rural parts of Cork North-West; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67265/25]

Sentiment score: 0.23

I thank the Minister. It is great to see that so much progress has been made on the local improvement scheme since it was re-established in 2017. The 5,000 improved roads in many rural parts of the country are very important to many of our constituents. I welcome the fact that the Minister has doubled the funding this year to €30 million, representing one of the largest increases for the scheme in the history of the State. It is great to see that Cork County Council has expended over €14 million on the scheme since its re-establishment in 2017. There are many roads in my constituency, Cork North-West. We had the privilege of having the Minister down in Rylane last weekend. Many roads around Rylane and other areas are in significant need of refurbishment. Many applications have been received by Cork County Council and there are many on hand. As a public representative for the area, I urge the Minister to continue to push for further funding between now and 2030 so we can continue to address the backlog of roads that need to be improved during that time.

Sentiment score: 0.45

I thank the Minister. It is good to see that Cork County Council is getting a lot of praise here this morning for its participation in the scheme and for ensuring many roads will be done this season. A total allocation of €2.33 million for 2025 is very welcome. I am sure many roads in my area, Cork North-West, and right across the county will be done. It is great that many roads on the islands off the mainland of Cork County have been done also. It is important to get the allocations out early in the year so we can ask the local authorities about projects. The roads staff do all our public roads and are involved with the community involvement scheme and roads programme right across Cork county. It is important from a resource point of view to get the allocation as quickly as possible. I will work with the Minister, the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and others to try to address the long waiting list for Cork county. I can guarantee the Minister that we will spend whatever money we get.

Sentiment score: 0.33