Laois commuters spend up to two hours travelling to work

MANY Laois commuters are spending up to two hours each day travelling to work, according to early responses to a Laois County Council survey.

The council launched the commuter survey on 3 February to provide an ‘accurate and up to date’ picture of commuting patterns of people living in Laois who work outside the county.

The aim is to help market the county as a destination of choice for investment, highlighting the range of skills lost each day.

Responses received during the first week show that a quarter of those surveyed have a journey of up to 120 minutes to work.

It is estimated that over 13,000 people now commute from the county daily.

Dom Reddin, Acting Head of Enterprise at Laois County Council, says responses to the survey have so far been positive.

“For the first time ever commuters in Laois are having their say around how they feel about commuting,” he says.

“It’s their direct, lived experiences and it’s these insights that we will use to help shape policies that will make working closer to home a reality for people living in our county.” Mr Reddin also notes that the council is delighted with responses received and encourages those who have not filled out the survey to do so soon.

“I would encourage those who haven’t already filled it out, to take a few minutes and ensure their voices are heard. It takes approximately 5 minutes to complete and is anonymous”.

Angela McEvoy, Director of Services at Laois County Council, says the survey is a vital step in “understanding the skills and potential within our commuter population.” She continues: “By gathering this data, we can create strategies that attract investment and generate local employment, ensuring Laois continues to thrive as a great place to live and work."

The survey will aim to identify key locations within Laois where skills and talent are concentrated and will form the basis for economic development strategies.

Survey responses will inform the council’s understanding of factors that influence commuting decisions, and what supports could encourage more local employment opportunities.

The survey is anonymous and gathers participant data on where Laois commuters travel for work and how often, their current work status and commuting habits, their educational background, professional skills, and employment sectors, and their attitudes toward living and working in Laois, including willingness to work locally or remotely.

The online survey can be completed on www.laois.ie/survey.

The survey is being carried out by market research company, Interactions Research.