I call on Leitrim County Council to give an update on the progress of the LIS Scheme’s in the county and especially in the Ballinamore Electoral Area.
Minutes:
To consider the following Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Gerry Dolan
I call on Leitrim County Council to give an update on the progress of the LIS Scheme’s in the county and especially in the Ballinamore Electoral Area.
Report by Roads
"In 2017, Funding for LIS Schemes was reinstated. At that stage there were 205 applications on the waiting list. In the period 2017 – 2020, Leitrim County Council received funding allocations and completed schemes as follows: -
• 2017 – Two tranches funding were received - (€250,000 & €237,947) – Total of €487,947 and 20 Schemes were completed.
• 2018 – Two tranches of funding were received - (€250,000 & €300,120) - Total of €550,120 and 24 Schemes were completed.
• 2019 – One tranche of funding was received (€250,000) - 10 Schemes were completed.
• 2020 – One tranche of funding was received (€250,000) - 9 Schemes were completed.
In summary, to date a total of 63 LIS Schemes have been completed between 2017 and 2020, of which there were 26 in Ballinamore MD.
In addition to the schemes completed, some other schemes did not proceed, and there are now a total of 110 applicants on the LIS Waiting List. These applications are processed in chronological order in order of date of receipt, and we are currently at applications received in 2007 /2008.
Of the 110 applications currently on the LIS Waiting List, the approximate breakdown per MD area is Ballinamore MD (46); Carrick on Shannon MD (23); and Manorhamilton MD (41).
As no allocation has as yet been received from the Department for LIS Schemes in 2021, we have made contact with the Department and they have informed us that are currently finalising the scheme criteria and allocations for 2021, and these will be made available in the coming weeks."
Councillor Gerry Dolan advised that he has received representations in relation to the LIS schemes and their availability.
Mr. Darragh O’Boyle advised that the scheme is currently closed to new applications as there is a backlog of applications on hand, which will be processed in chronological order. He outlined that the Council expect to complete approximately 9-11 of the LIS’s in 2021.
Councillor Barry requested clarification on the number of the last
CIS completed.
Mr. Darragh O’Boyle agreed to circulate the list with the
details of the 9 LIS’s completed in 2020.
Councillor Paddy O’Rourke on reviewing the reply, acknowledged that the Council would need additional funding if all the applications on the current waiting list are to be progressed.
Mr. O’Boyle estimated that €1.5 million in funding would be required to process all LIS’s on hand.
Councillor Dolan requested that when the scheme re-opens to accepting new applications that a prioritisation scheme be put in place for ‘priority cases’ e.g., persons residing on road that are service users of home supports.
Councillor Barry stated that the members would have to agree to introducing a new points-based system for processing new applications or to continue to process all applications in chronological order from the date of receipt of the application.
Councillor O’Rourke advised that his preference would be to see the applications on hand processed first.
It was agreed that any amendment to the processing of the LIS applications in the future would have to be agreed by the SPC.
Councillor Enda McGloin requested an update on when the CIS schemes will commence in 2021.
Mr. O’Boyle advised that the CIS Schemes applied to public roads where match funding of 15% was required. He also advised that all CIS approvals for this year have been notified at this stage and that the works will proceed once the funding allocation has been received.
In the absence of Councillor Ita-Reynolds Flynn, Councillor Enda McGloin moved the Notices of Motion on behalf of Councillor Reynolds-Flynn.