Biggest ever €40.7m budget to run Laois in 2027 but inflation bites

A whopping €140.7 million will be spent on day to day running costs for Laois in 2027, after what is the biggest annual budget ever was agreed by councillors. The total is a €7.83m jump from the previous record sum of €132.9m for 2026, with €136.56m actually spent as extra grants were won.

There is more money particularly for road repairs and house repairs, but the extra money does not mean extra services, as Laois County Council’s Director of Services for Finance, Julie Bergin outlined.

She spoke at the annual draft budget meeting in council chambers on Monday, November 9.

“Just bear in mind that that increase does not give an equivalent amount of additional funding to spend on local priorities. Inflation continues to erode our spending capacity, absorbing additional income just simply to maintain our existing services,” the director said.

The council says that inflation stood at 4.1% in September, “reducing the purchasing power of existing budgets and placing increasing pressure on the council’s ability to maintain current service standards”.

The Laois CEO is Michael Rainey.

“What we get today for a euro is a lot less than what we got previously. Despite all the inflationary pressure, and not having the same level of funding as we have demand for services, what you see is a positive, ambitious budget, with increases across nearly all our core areas, but particularly in housing and roads,” he said, noting that those were the priorities for councillors.

Government grants are expected to cover almost €82 million (58%).

Income from goods and services, is expected to cover another €28.27m. That includes €10.3m from rents from Laois County Council’s 2,595 council houses.

Commercial rates paid by Laois businesses will reap €17.3 million, with a rise of 5% on that tax, the first rise in a decade.

The increased Local Property Tax on households will bring in the final €13.2m. That figure will be up by €300,000 next year after councillors agreed to raise the tax to 20% last September.

The biggest chunk will be spent in housing and building, of over €47 m, up by €5.6m.

The next biggest slice is road transport and safety, at almost €34 m, a rise of €2.5m.

Other major spends include council wages, the fire service, environmental services, libraries, parks, cemeteries, playgrounds and councillors discretionary budgets.

Cllr Paschal McEvoy formally proposed the 2027 draft budget, seconded by Cllr Ollie Clooney.

The Cathaoirleach is Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald.

“This is a positive budget that delivers significant investment for communities across County Laois. Thank you to Julie. We didn’t get everything we wanted, you never do in life, but we did the best we can going forward,” she said.

The budget excludes money that will be spent to build capital infrastructure.

At the same meeting, councillors approved a projected three year capital budget of €231m, to possibly be spent on new housing, roads, public buildings, flood schemes, firestations, public spaces, burial grounds, leisure centres, libraries and climate actions.

That big budget is only “indicative” the CEO Michael Rainey cautioned.

“If there’s opportunities for funding we’ll be going after them as aggressively as possible,” he promised.