Record €140.7m budget for Laois
Laois County Council headquarters in Portlaoise. File image
A RECORD €140.7m budget has been approved by Laois Co Council for next year, with more than €47.1m going on housing.
The 2027 budget passed this week is an increase of 5.8 percent on 2026. However, rising inflation means that many council services need more money simply to keep up their current work.
At the annual budget meeting on Monday 9 November, councillors heard that total proposed expenditure for 2027 is €140.7m, while income from the council’s grants, goods and services is €110.18m. The remaining funding comes from commercial rates and local property tax, respectively valued at €13.2m and €17.31m.
In a statement, a council official said: ‘The budget is absorbing additional income just simply to maintain our existing services. However, despite these pressures, the priorities of our elected members have been at the forefront of developing this budget.’
The official said that, with inflation running at about four per cent, preparing the 2027 budget was a significant challenge for council staff.
Notably, the budget was aided by external grant funding for roads, the Integration of Ukrainian Communities Initiative and various community initiatives. The grant-supported expenditure also covered housing, heritage, climate action and biodiversity initiatives.
However, despite significant external and government grants, persistently high inflation meant ‘the persistent financial inability of the council’ to improve existing services.
Despite inflationary pressures expenditure will rise in some areas, most notably in housing and building whose budget has increased by €5.6m to €47.1m.
Other positive developments are an extra €1.2m to support housing services, which would go towards planned maintenance and emergency repair works, the Affordable Housing Subsidy and match funding for house grants.
The Road Transportation and Safety budget has increased by €2.49m, while the Environmental Services budget has risen by €600,000 compared to this year. In the Recreation and Amenity budget, an additional €30,000 is provided for parks and open spaces.
Laois Co Council is also on course to deliver over 1,100 new homes between 2022 and the end of 2026, significantly exceeding the target of 534 homes set by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
Cathaoirleach Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald commented: “This is a positive budget that delivers significant investment for communities across Co Laois. I am particularly pleased to see increased funding for housing, roads, parks and public spaces, as well as continued support for local businesses, heritage, tourism and libraries. The investment provided in Budget 2027 will help improve quality of life for residents and support the continued development of our county.”
The primary budget allocations are:
Housing and Building: €47.1m
Road Transport and Safety €33.7m
Water Services: €1.8m
Development Management: €13.8m
Environmental Services: €15.9m
Recreation and Amenity: €9m
Agriculture, Education, Health and Welfare: €980,000
Miscellaneous Services: €18m
Most councillors at the meeting had a positive reaction to the budget, though all had areas they would like to see get more money, ranging from footpaths to homeless services.
