Westmeath LIS allocation set at €503k

An allocation of €502,290 has been announced for the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) for Westmeath for 2026.

The allocation, announced on Wednesday, is for repairs and improvement works on non-public rural roads and lanes, particularly those providing access to homes, farms, and outdoor amenities such as lakes and forests.

These roads are not maintained by local authorities but are considered vital infrastructure for rural communities.

In the first half of last year, Westmeath received LIS funding of €498,238, and in August, €463,437 was added to make for an overall grant of €961,675.

Wednesday’s announcement of €502,290 was made by the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary, TD, who described the LIS as “a fantastic scheme”, explaining that the way it operates is that 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.

The local contribution provided by the households and/or landowners is set at 10 per cent of the estimated cost for eligible roads with up to and including five households and/or landowners, or 15 per cent for roads with six or more households and/or landowners.