Road Network
Dail Éireann — 2026-05-21
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Dara Calleary (FF), Mayo

I agree. Looking at the figures, it is a particularly long list in Kerry. The Deputy is not the only Kerry Deputy who has made a special case for the county; there is also the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Foley, and other colleagues. We have put over €200 million into the LIS in less than ten years. It has made a difference around the country. I am aware of the length of the waiting lists and I am aware of the scheme. I make a very special case indeed for County Mayo, given its size, but I have other competing capital priorities. What the Minister of State and I have done last year is that where we can identify capital savings in the Department, we have targeted them towards LIS. It may not always be possible to do that but LIS will be a priority project as long as the Minister of State and I are in the Department.
I also say this to other Departments: the role of rural roads is not just for our Department. Other Departments have to step up. They are doing that but collectively, we could do a lot more. Our per km spend is an issue we are looking at as well. All local authorities need to have a certain band within which they spend on LIS. We do not need gold-plated roads; we need roads.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-05-21/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:58+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-21