Rural roads and laneways across Ireland are set to be upgraded with new investment of €12.5 million.

Made available under the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS), this investment will see repairs and improvement works delivered on non-public roads and lanes that are not normally maintained by the local authorities.

For the first time under the scheme, ring-fencing of €500,000 was announced to support rural roads on offshore islands. This investment will benefit island communities in Galway, Cork, Donegal, Mayo and Sligo.

Making the announcement today, Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD said: "I am delighted to announce €12.55 million in funding to improve hundreds of roads and laneways in towns and villages across Rural Ireland.

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"Local connectivity is absolutely vital for our rural communities and this investment will benefit the lives of families in every single county.

"We all know parts of rural Ireland that can be difficult to access because the road or laneway is in need of repair.

"The Local Improvement Scheme is about making people's lives that bit easier, ensuring we have good access to homes, farms and our local amenities.

"This is what 'Our Rural Future' is all about – ensuring more and more people can live work and raise a family in rural communities throughout Ireland."

The overall announcement means some €112 million has now been allocated to local authorities under the Local Improvement Scheme since it was re-introduced in 2017.

The Minister added: "I'm also really pleased today to announce an investment of €500,000 specifically for our island communities.

"Having visited many of our offshore islands in recent months, I know that there are many road projects in need of investment.

"This is the first time that the islands have been specifically included in the Local Improvement Scheme, which demonstrates my commitment to enhancing island life.

"Since this scheme was reintroduced in 2017, over 3,700 roads have been funded for repair works. This has made a real difference to the lives of over 16,000 landowners and residents.

"I would urge each local authority to use the funding announced today and complete the repair works on the selected roads as soon as possible."