Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)

I thank the Deputies. There was a recent review of eligibility. The scheme eligibility criteria were amended for 2024. Eligible road projects are those that involve the improvement of non-public roads which provide access to two or more parcels of land that are owned or occupied by different persons, one of whom must be using it for agricultural purposes or harvesting. Evidence of agricultural activity can be proven by other means than a herd number; for example, farm payments or mart receipts can be used. The reduction from two persons to one person was in response to feedback received from local representatives to help to ensure that more families can qualify for the scheme. The requirement that there be two or more land owners or occupiers linked to the road as part of the application remains. I am not sure whether there are further plans for review. However, that is the most recent change.

In regard to increased funding, the double allocation was in response to that to some extent. There was an issue with local authorities getting the single allocation late in the year but we were able to get around that this year by giving the double allocation in advance. As the Deputy has identified, if there are underspends we can try to move things around. If more resources become apparent through the course of 2025, we know that the LIS is something that can generally take that. That is not always the case. There is not always a direct relationship between funding and getting the job done, as the Deputies know. Sometimes there is difficulty with the local authority sourcing and finding contractors within the time allowed as well. That has been an issue in some counties. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, knows the value of the LIS and has certainly made some changes recently to try to make its impact felt throughout the country even more.

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