Kerry county councillors are seeking clarity on the funding allocation for the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS).
It follows a motion brought before the monthly meeting of Kerry County Council by Independent councillor Charlie Farrelly. He asked the council how many extra LIS it applied for, under the increased round of Government funding.
Kerry County Council stated in July the Department of Rural and Community Development requested all local authorities indicate how many additional LIS scheme they could reasonably complete, with grants claimed and fully drawn down by mid-October 2021. The council stated it could complete a further 21 schemes within that timeframe and this would require an additional grant of €898,107; the council also confirmed there were a total of 734 roads remaining on the priority list with a combined value in excess of €50 million.
Kerry County Council received an additional LIS grant allocation of €497,169, which will enable a further 12 schemes to be completed.
At the time, Fianna Fáil councillor John Francis Flynn hit out at the funding allocations, claiming Minister Heather Humphreys was looking after her own area in Cavan and Monaghan which received more funding than Kerry. At the recent council meeting, Fianna Fáil councillor Niall Kelleher stated a press release had been issued stating each county got the amount of money it was looking for.
Director of Services with the council, Charlie O’Sullivan said they had submitted more schemes than had been approved. Councillors agreed clarity should be sought from the Department of Rural and Community Development on the matter.
