Belmullet local election candidate welcomes €2.5m LIS funding for Mayo

Fine Gael Local Election candidate Pat Chambers has welcomed the funding allocation of €40 million for repairs and improvement works on non-public rural roads and laneways as part of the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS)

Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys recently announced that over €2.5 million of this funding is designated to Co Mayo, including €100,000 allocated specifically for islands. These funds are allocated for works to be done across 2024 and 2025 on roads not normally maintained by the local authorities.

Pat Chambers, a candidate in the Belmullet Electoral Area also welcomes the amendment of the criteria, which now means that an LIS application will now only require one herd number, as opposed to the previous requirement of two. Mr Chambers, a sheep farmer from Tiernaur, acknowledged that this will make the application process more accessible allowing more people to qualify for the scheme.

“After the last few weeks of canvassing, and walking the roads of the Belmullet, Achill, Ballycroy, Mulranny, Tiernaur, Shramore and Keenagh areas, it is vital that schemes like this LIS one are given more funding. Rural roads give access to several amenities in our areas, such as farms, lakes, piers, and beaches, and we must maintain a high standard of them.

“The scheme is a fantastic initiative under which homeowners and farmers make a small contribution, and the Government then provides the balance of the funding to ensure that everyone is ensured their right to access their homes and farms on a good quality surface,” the first time candidate said.

“These are the type of things that people deserve to be made aware of, and if elected on June 7, I will work tirelessly to improve local infrastructure,” he added.