A further €14 million investment has been announced to support Ireland's rural roads and laneways under the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS), bringing the government's backing to a record €30 million for the year.

The LIS is designed to assist the continued improvement of non-public roads in rural communities and improves access to rural homes and farms, as well as outdoor amenities such as lakes, rivers, mountains and beaches. These roads and laneways are not normally maintained by locally authorities, however they represent a vital piece of infrastructure for rural residents.

Announcing the additional funding, Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, said: "I am delighted to have secured a further €14 million for the scheme which almost doubles our investment this year. The €30 million which I have made available to our local authorities this year represents the highest annual funding level since the scheme was re-introduced.

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"This additional funding demonstrates my commitment to improving connectivity for rural residents – whether it be access to homes, farms or outdoor amenities."

The county allocations are based on the level of works that each local authority indicated they could complete before the end of the year.

The Minister continued: "I am very much aware of the need to support this scheme and the demand that is apparent across our local authorities.

"Over the coming months, my Department officials will work closely with local authorities to ensure that this funding is fully delivered this year to improve our non-public rural roads and laneways."

Details of the allocation to each county under this additional funding and the total allocations for 2025 can be found here.