Fianna Fáil Councillor, John Paul Feeley has described the allocation
to County Cavan for the Local Improvement Scheme as an insult to Rural
Ireland.
‘Last year, this Government provided no money to complete Local
Improvement Schemes. The Minister for the Environment came to meet
Cavan County Council last year to tell us this Scheme would be back.
Nominally they have brought it back. They have done this by slashing
the Council Budget by 15% and telling the County Council that we can
allocate not more than 7% of the Road Maintenance Budget to the Local
Improvement Scheme. The Minister for Transport has told the Council we
can provide money for Local Improvement Schemes if we further cut the
grants to maintain our local and regional road. It’s fudge and a
disgrace for this Government to make this allocation; it is an insult
to Rural Ireland.’
The Local Employment Scheme provided for grant aid to country lanes
serving at least one domestic dwelling and not less than two land
holdings. Administered by the local authority the local contribution
amounted to 15% of the overall cost.
‘We have had a lot of promises from Government representatives about
the Local Improvement Scheme. We even had Oireachtas members out
telling us that the Scheme was back. This is clearly false. As the
waiting lists lengthen and lanes become impassable, Councils across
the country are getting non-existent allocations to get the work
done.’
The 2013 Road Works Programme will be brought before the County
Council next Monday. The West Cavan County Councillor is calling on
the Fine Gael Councillors and Oireachtas Representatives to lobby for
a proper and reasonable allocation of funds to the Local Improvement
Scheme.
John Paul Feeley
Fianna Fáil Member of Cavan County Council
