Progress being made on the greening of Portlaoise - meeting hears
Some of those who attended the Portlaoise Climate Alliance first bi-annual session of the year. Photo: Rene PR Design
MEMBERS from the Portlaoise Climate Alliance met for their first bi-annual session recently.
With over 35 members, representing 21 Portlaoise based organisations the event was held in the Laois Education Support Centre and supported by the Climate Action Section of Laois County Council.
Addressing the meeting, the council’s Director of Services Simon Walton said that in 2017 a strategic vision for the development of Portlaoise - ‘Portlaoise 2040 and Beyond’ was published.
He said since then many organisations and groups “delivered measures making a significant contribution towards the greening of Portlaoise, exposing the town’s rich heritage, renewing and revitalising the town centre, exposing the River Triogue, implementing active travel and public transport measures and enhancing opportunities for local employment and enterprise.”
During the morning session Eleanor Saunders, a specialist in education for sustainability and innovation facilitated participants from a variety of areas to build a wide network and increase capacity.
She said: “Systemic change will not come from one group of like-minded people, it has to ripple across all communities and organisations.
Updates were presented by Alliance members on projects delivered since their last meeting in October 2024.
Michéle Castiaux, a Green-Schools Travel Officer, showcased the successes of the Portlaoise Schools Cluster project. This involves all 10 mainstream Portlaoise schools sustainably traveling to and from school and is supported by Laois County Council.
Karen Moore from the council’s Climate Action Section spoke on the visible results of the partnership between Portlaoise Tidy Towns and Laois County Councils Area Office, in the pollinator friendly roundabout plantings.
Ms Moore commented on the recent travel projects for Portlaoise and said that the new Portlaoise bus service, which was launched earlier this year, has had over 9,000 weekly trips. Since launching in August last year Bolt Bikes has had 25,000 separate trips registered totalling nearly 53,000kms distance cycled.
Those in attendance were also given a tour of the Laois Education Support Centre Biodiversity Demonstration Garden guided by members involved in its establishment, the Climate Action Coordinator at Laois County Council Suzanne Dempsey and the Chair of Laois Teachers Climate Action and Biodiversity Committee Liam O’Neill.
For further information on the Portlaoise Climate Alliance contact climateaction@laoiscoco.ie
