Report: Almost 250,000 items borrowed from Kildare County Council libraries last year

Kildare County Council said it has improved its performance across a range of indicators during 2021, despite Covid-19 and other challenges, and while providing additional innovations and services.

A statement from the Council said: "The NOAC Local Authority Performance Indicator Report 2021 shows Kildare County Council made advances last year, in the areas of housing and environment amongst others.

"Essential services were delivered throughout 2021, in tandem with Kildare County Council playing a vital role in the national response to the pandemic.  

"The local authority provided a range of new supports and grants to the public and businesses during the pandemic, including resilience and wellbeing community supports and changes to the public realm in the interests of public health and safety and local businesses. 

"Alongside this, Kildare County Council continued to deliver essential services throughout, as the Performance Indicators Report 2021 shows.

In 2021, a total of 341 rented dwellings were inspected by Kildare County Council

"At the end of 2021, Kildare County Council owned 4,980 social housing units, an increase of 154 units to our housing stock in 2021;

"In 2021 of the registered private water schemes in Kildare, over 94% were monitored by the local authority

The median percentage of areas surveyed in Kildare and found to be unpolluted, litter-free or slightly polluted in the county 98%;

"Of the 57 Kildare County Council planning decisions appealed to An Bord Pleanála in 2021, over 68% were confirmed by An Bord Pleanála;

"In 2021, a total of 241,715 items were borrowed from Kildare County Council libraries."