- LIS providing funding to upgrade rural roads and laneways
- €2 million increase secured in Budget 2026
- Essential funding to improve road access to homes and farms in rural areas
- Ringfenced funding to upgrade eligible roads on our offshore islands
The Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, has announced the opening of the 2026 Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) which will provide €17.55 million for repairs and improvement works on non-public rural roads and laneways under the scheme.
This investment demonstrates the continued commitment of the Government to vital road infrastructure in rural Ireland, providing access to people’s homes and farms.
This announcement brings to a total of over €201 million that has been allocated to local authorities under the Scheme since it was re-introduced in 2017. The allocation of funds is for works to be carried out in 2026 on roads not normally maintained by the local authorities
Speaking as he announced the allocations today, Minister Calleary said:
“I am delighted to announce funding today of €17.55 million for the Local Improvement Scheme which is an increase of €2 million which I secured in Budget 2026. This includes over €500,000 ringfenced to be spent specifically on LIS eligible roads on our 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.
“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.”
Local authorities are responsible for identifying and prioritising roads for improvement works under the scheme, in consultation with residents/landowners.
Minister of State Buttimer added:
“I am delighted to see the announcement of the 2026 Local Improvement Scheme today. As Minister for Rural Transport, I see the benefits provided to rural homeowners and farmers through this funding, through which local authorities carry out improvement works on rural lanes and non-public roads. I am particularly pleased to see the additional €2 million funding provided for the scheme this year.”
Minister Calleary concluded:
“I am aware that Local Authorities need to carry out LIS works when weather conditions are favourable and, in recognition of this, and to help local authorities better plan their work programmes, I am launching the scheme in February to ensure as many eligible roads as possible can be completed this year”.
For more information and a breakdown of allocations by county, visit: Minister Calleary announces €17.5 million to Local Authorities for Local Improvement Scheme (LIS)