merrion street

The CIS will comprise of:

€10.6 million to be provided over 2 years in 2013 and 2014

Work to be undertaken at 377 locations

Over 240 kms of roads to be improved

Speaking today about this pilot scheme Minister Kelly said:

"I am delighted to be in a position to allocate this funding over two years the maintenance and improvement of our local roads network.

"Local authorities have asked communities to come up with a portion of the cost of road maintenance either through funding, labour provision, machinery supply or other forms of benefit,"

"This funding is then being added to my Department’s spend to prioritise maintenance in rural isolated areas and will allow communities have a direct input along with their local authority into local road maintenance,"

"In the normal course of a County Council’s road works programme, repairs to minor county roads would only be considered towards the end of the programme after more heavily trafficked routes had been dealt with and the purpose of this pilot community involvement scheme is to permit local participation in the repair of roads."

"In this way, if there are particular problems affecting a given stretch of road and if the local community are willing to assist the local authority (in money or kind) with the necessary works, then such roads can be improved sooner than would otherwise be the case. As such, the scheme recognises local community involvement in this area, without in any way taking from the statutory responsibilities of county councils."

"This pilot Community Involvement in Road Works Scheme is purely a voluntary scheme and is available to give local communities the opportunity to have these works completed where they would not normally be considered for funding."

Ends