81. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the efforts his Department is making to increase the resourcing of local improvement schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14571/25]

Sentiment score: 0.22

I ask the Minister about the efforts his Department is making to increase the resourcing of local improvement schemes and make a statement on it. In Kerry in particular over the past eight years, 225 roads have been improved but that is about 30 per year and, as the Minister probably knows, there are 500 roads on the list, which means it will be 25 or 30 years before we will get to all of the roads on the list.

Sentiment score: 0.46

I thank the Minister for the reply. By way of context, a lot of people in County Kerry, from various areas such as Listry, Astee, Ballyconry, Ballyduff and Dromod in south Kerry, have been asking me about this. There has been a certain amount of kite-flying over the last few months by Government-supporting Independent TDs who have been announcing that there has been an increase in money for the local improvement schemes. However, from the statistics the Minister has quite generously provided to me we see the 2024 allocation is €2.569 million for 2024 and 2025, but the 2024 spend was €1.747 million. When one subtracts the 2024 figure from the allocation for the scheme in 2024-25 we are left with €821,000 for 2025, which is a decrease of 52% on what was previously allocated by the Government. Will the Minister confirm that there has been a decrease in the spend assigned for rural roads in Kerry as opposed to the increase that was flagged recently?

Sentiment score: 0.28

Going over the statistics since 2017, as the Minister referenced, it seems to me that Kerry County Council and the roads department there have been quite efficient. I believe that €5,000 less than the full allocation was spent in one of those years. It seems that it was €21,000 less than the full allocation in 2020. It does seem to me that when we subtract the 2024 amount from the combined 2024-25 figure, the actual amount allocated to Kerry has decreased, which is very unfortunate given the 30-year waiting list. I would like to have clarity that it is indeed the case, as indicated by the statistics, that the amount for Kerry has decreased rather than increased, which was the story going around County Kerry from some of the people who are supporting the Government.

Sentiment score: 0.16

83. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development for an update on the town and village renewal scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14577/25]

Sentiment score: 0.01

I would like an update on the town and village renewal scheme. Will the Minister make a statement on that?

Sentiment score: 0.18

I thank the Minister for the reply. It will be particularly relevant to towns in Kerry, particularly Listowel, Dingle, Kenmare and Cahersiveen. Since Covid, many people have been returning to rural towns to live. However, town centres in Kerry, maybe with the exception of Killarney, are under severe pressure. There is a lot of dereliction in them. Is the Minister satisfied with the progress made to date on the collecting of levies? He mentioned the derelict sites measure. There is a register that county councils are obliged to maintain. It seems Kerry County Council has not been active enough in commencing compulsory purchase orders. I see from the latest statistics available that zero sites were acquired by agreement in 2023, and zero sites were acquired compulsorily. There were levies of €231,000 but zero received for sites, and €979 in total was received. Therefore, there is an outstanding levy figure of €703,000. The authorities must act to use the schemes already in place if what is wanted is to renew the town centres.

Sentiment score: 0.10

I am glad the Minister brought up the town centre first approach because I see it was in the last programme for Government and it is in the current one. If it was the case there was a priority for town centre first, then the Department of Justice or the Courts Service would not be deciding to close the current courthouse in Tralee and to move it to another side of town without any plan to do anything at all with the building, which is right in the centre of town and has been there since the 1840s. The current proposal is preposterous in my view. Rather than doing a job like was done in Kilkenny with a budget of €20 million odd for every new courthouse or rather than using an An Post depot that is for sale and refurbishing that or refurbishing the current courthouse, it is planned to close it down and move across to the Denny site, which has been given by the Kerry Group, while limiting any development there and not having any additional benefit to the town. It is not too late to reverse that decision but we will wait and see. I ask the Minister to talk to his colleagues in government about what can be done to do that.

Sentiment score: 0.25