Louth secures €372,890 for rural road and laneway upgrades
Louth County Council has been allocated €372,890 to fund repairs and improvement works on private rural roads and laneways under the 2026 Local Improvement Scheme (LIS).
The allocation forms part of a nationwide €17.55 million funding package unveiled by the Department of Rural and Community Development to upgrade non‑public rural roads and access routes across Ireland.
The announcement brings total investment under the scheme to more than €201 million since its reintroduction in 2017. The 2026 funding is earmarked for works on roads that fall outside the responsibility of local authorities and would not otherwise receive routine maintenance.
Announcing the allocations, Minister for Rural and Community Development Dara Calleary said he was pleased to secure an additional €2 million for the scheme in Budget 2026, including over €500,000 ringfenced for eligible roads on offshore islands.
“I am delighted to announce funding today of €17.55 million for the Local Improvement Scheme,” Minister Calleary said: “This scheme will improve hundreds of rural roads and laneways across the country and is a vital source of funding for non-public roads not normally maintained by local authorities.
“It’s a fantastic scheme under which the homeowners and farmers who use the lane make a small local contribution and the Government provides the balance of funding to ensure that people can continue to access their homes and farms on good quality surfaces.”
Local authorities will now begin the process of identifying and prioritising roads for works in consultation with residents and landowners. Under LIS, government investment is complemented by a local financial contribution from beneficiaries.
The scheme covers non‑public roads which provide access to parcels of land owned or occupied by two or more different landowners, with at least one used for agricultural purposes, or provide access for agricultural or harvesting activities, including turf or seaweed.
Non-public roads leading to important community amenities such as graveyards, beaches, piers, mountains, etc are also eligible under the scheme.