Newly appointed Laois County Council chief outlines main priorities for his term in office

IN HIS address to the November meeting of Laois County Council, new chief executive Michael Rainey outlined a list of priorities that he would like to achieve during his term in office.

Mr Rainey from Ballyadams returns to Laois County Council after serving a five-year term as interim CEO and director of service with Carlow County Council.

A former director of service with Laois County Council, he takes over the role from John Mulholland, who retired earlier this year.

The new boss began working with Laois County Council in 2001. Over the following 18 years he was involved in almost every area of local government, including nine years as housing officer before being appointed director of service in Laois County Council with responsibility for planning and housing.

He took up the position of director of service with Carlow County Council in 2019 with responsibility for planning, economic development, regeneration, corporate services, HR and ICT as well as Carlow town manager. He also worked with Kildare County Council.

Addressing councillors in his new role, Mr Rainey said: “A thriving Laois County Council has significant positive implications for the county, but also for the midlands. I look forward to developing a close and proactive working relationship with the elected members, staff of the local authority and community and business stakeholders over the coming years.

“I wish to acknowledge and thank my colleague Simon Walton, who has served as interim chief executive since May 2024, for his excellent stewardship and to especially acknowledge the huge contribution to Laois of my predecessors John Mulholland and Peter Carey before that.” Over the coming months, Mr Rainey said that he intends to communicate with all of the key business, community, sectoral stakeholders around the county, “to ensure that the council is delivering quality services that meet the needs of the customer and to hear about opportunity areas for further development. There are also several key priority areas that I will be focusing on.

“Laois has outperformed other local authorities in the delivery of social housing over recent years. This is something that will continue under my leadership. I will be placing an increased focus in affordable and other housing delivery pipelines to ensure there is a sustainable housing delivery model across the county.

“Another key focus area will be regeneration. I believe a lot can be achieved through ambitious plan-making and securing the highest levels of government investment through URDF, RRDF, Town and Village, Clar, ORIS and other funding streams. It is critical that vacant and derelict properties are brought back into use, that public realms are attractive and the communities across Laois’s towns and villages feel supported.” Mr Rainey highlighted the success that Laois County Council has had with the J17 National Enterprise Park and believes “this is only the start of unlocking the economic potential of the county. The aim for me will be to work in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce, the IDA and Enterprise Ireland to bring investment into the county and to support the existing strong and vibrant SME sector.” He said he also wants to see a new tourism strategy “that reflects the importance of tourism and maximises the potential of the recreational, social and cultural assets within Laois.

“I am also very conscious of climate change and the role that local government must play in addressing this very significant challenge. The recent adoption by Laois County Council of a Climate Action Plan and the proactive work of Laois County Council to date shows the potential of local government in this area. 

“As an employer, the council needs to continue to attract and retain the right talent to deliver on the council’s ambitious plans over the coming years. It is also important that the council keeps pace with the digital agenda and increases the range of services that are available online.” Despite the challenges, Mr Rainey said that he is optimistic about the future for Laois. He said: “As someone who has lived in the county for the last 24 years, I know the strengths of the county, its citizens and the exceptional quality of life on offer. It is my mission to improve that quality of life through the many services provided by Laois County Council, but particularly in the areas of housing provision, employment opportunity and community development."