'More to Laois than Portlaoise' as frustrations boil up over millions for county town

The lack of money to extend a footpath in Stradbally has sparked anger among public representatives over what they see is an imbalance in money going to Portlaoise at the expense of the rest Laois.

Frustrations boiled up at a meeting of the Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District following a motion tabled by Cllr Paschal McEvoy of Fianna Fáil.

He called on Laois County Council to extend a footpath to serve up to a dozen houses on the Rathmore Road. He said the extension had been sought for years but with no success.

The written reply led to all councillors venting disillusionment at how money his spent in Laois on footpaths through the Active Travel Scheme.

Laios Active Travel Officer Diarmuid Donohoe explained that the scheme does not extend to the footpath referred to. He added that the infrastructure delivered under the scheme must provide for a high population and link them to a “key trip attractor”.

However, the councillor was told that a meeting would be arranged with him on the site to review. 

Cllr McEvoy responded. “I can’t understand - it’s a footpath it’s fairly straightforward.”

His motion was backed by other councillors led by Cllr Ashling Moran, Independent, who highlighted how funding is spent under the scheme.

“I’m very annoyed at the moment over the funding for Active Travel,” she said.

Cllr Moran said that in 2023 €71,000 was spent from the €3.5 million fund that came to Laois. She claimed this worked out at 2.3% of the fund.

She contrasted this to the Portlaoise Municipal District which received almost €2.4 million or over 70% of the money to encourage more walking and cycling. She said that in 2024 Portlaoise received €1.7 million or 57%.  

“We have the second and third biggest towns in Laois and for whatever reason everything is being pumped into Portlaoise - that is unfair,” she said.

She said the district needs more cycle lanes and footpaths to encourage people not to use cars.

“There is more to Laois than Portlaoise,” she said.

She added that a third of people living in Laois live in the Port Graigue district with 38% of Laois people living in the Portlaoise area.

Calling the situation a “disgrace”, she said: “And yet, over two years they got €4.1 million while we got €281,000. How is that fair?” 

She also told the meeting that Portlaoise received over €18 million through its status as a Low Carbon town up to 2021.

Cllr Aidan Mullins, Sinn Féin, said the Rathmore Road situation ‘does not make sense’ and called on the council to fund the extension. He said the Active Travel funding explanation was ‘rubbish’. 

He asked: “What do the need a the end of the footpath - a Guinness Storehouse?"

He backed Cllr Moran on the funding for Portlaoise.

“The preferential treatment for Portlaoise is way out of proportion for the size of the town…Every other part of the county is starved - that has to stop,” he said.

Cllr PJ Kelly, Fine Gael, also backed the motion because it provided the opportunity for councillors to highlight the problem with the scheme. He said footpaths are ultimately needed for safety.

Cllr Padraig Fleming, Fianna Fáil, said more walking infrastructure is needed as did Cllr Ben Brennan, Independent.

Like other councillors, he expected that the funding would improve. “It has got worse,” he said. Cllr Brennan said there are no places to charge eclectic cars in Graiguecullen.

Gerry Murphy, Director of Services for Finance, told the meeting that he did not decide where the money goes adding that the funding comes from the Department of Transport. He agreed that the majority of funding is going to Portlaoise.

He clarified that of the €3 million awarded under the Active Travel Scheme this year to Laois He said €200,000 would be go to Station and Canal roads in Portarlington. A further €5,000 was allocated for a permeability scheme in Port. He said €150,000 was allocated to Graiguecullen for low-cost junction tightening pedestrian crossings.

The issue was raised the the February meeting of the Portarlington Graigucullen Municipal District.

Projects are funded by the Department of Transport through the National Transport Authority’s Active Travel Programme and are managed and delivered by the local authorities