€12M plus bill to clear LIS backlog

It would cost the council over €12 million and at least eight years at the current rate of funding to “clear the backlog” of almost 280 applications currently awaiting work under the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS).

Where some other local authorities have since closed the scheme to any new applications coming in, Cavan County Council says it has not done so, despite receiving over 80 new applications in 2024 alone.

The details emerge after Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht awarded the council €662,498 last week.

The figure is less than half the €1.1 million the council had applied for, but still represents the second specific allocation for LIS expenditure locally in 2025, after €1,209,560 was allocated back in April.

That earlier sanction was to complete repairs to a total of seven laneways in the county. With the latest top-up the hope that the authority will have capacity to carry out work on a total of nine roads.

Last week's funding announcement was welcomed locally by Fianna Fáil deputy Brendan Smith, by Minister for State Niamh Smyh, and by Fine Gael Senator Joe O'Reilly.

A spokesperson for the council also welcomed the news, but still told the Celt that while it is expected this funding will “assist in the completion of up to nine lanes, there are 279 applications on the list. It is estimated that the cost of completing all current applications would be over €12 million, and at current rates the time to clear the backlog would be at least eight years,” the spokesperson said/

They added that “while some local authorities have closed the scheme to new applications, Cavan County Council has not done so.

In 2024, Cavan County Council received over 80 new applications.”