€10m in Government funding has been approved for rural roads including lanes and boreens.
The Local Improvement Scheme is to help people access isolated homes and farms.
The roads are not under the normal maintenance of the Local Authorities.
The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring, said: “This scheme is a lifeline for people living in rural areas because it directly improves their access to and from their homes and farms.
"It’s important to remember that many people living in rural areas use these roads on every journey they take, so when these roads fall into disrepair, it has a significant impact on them. By investing in the improvement of these roads we are helping to improve people’s quality of life in rural areas.
“My Department will be in contact with Local Authorities in the coming days and I would encourage each Local Authority to carefully compile a list of suitable roads for submission to the Department."
He said their lists should be based on the authority's capacity to undertake and complete the works before the end of July 2018.
He said: “In 2017, I allocated an initial €10 million to participating Local Authorities and was able to allocate a further €7.4 million to the scheme before the end of last year.
“I cannot overstate how important local connectivity is in order to enable rural Ireland to function well.
"I am delighted to see that in the recently announced National Development Plan as part of Project Ireland 2040, €4.5 billion has been allocated for the maintenance and improvement of local and regional roads.
"Project Ireland 2040 also contains €1 billion extra funding for investment in rural communities through the Department of Rural and Community Development. This Rural Regeneration Fund will lead to significant investment in rural towns, villages and rural areas, meaning greater connectivity and enhanced amenities for rural communities."