Criticism has been leveled at the IDA over its record in Laois

The performance of the IDA in attracting jobs to Laois was criticised at the latest meeting of Laois County Council. 

The issue was raised by Fine Gael Cllr Wilie Aird who tabled a motion in relation to the agency. 

He asked "that Laois County Council requests that IDA representatives are invited to the March meeting of the Council to give an update of their future plans for job creation in the County."

“When were they last here? It is definitely four years ago,” said Cllr Aird.  

“How many jobs did they create?” he asked. He described the situation as very frustrating. 

Cllr Aird said he would challenge any local authority, including Dublin, Cork or Galway, to show him a better site than the landbank on the Mountrath Road. 

“Where in the pecking order are we? What box did we not tick,” he asked. 

“We are right on the crossroads no matter where you go,” he pointed out. 

He said Portlaoise was a growing town and it was a growing county and it was only a few minutes to two motorways. He wanted the IDA to tell him what the county doesn’t have to offer. 

“If it weren’t for Laois County Council under the guidance of Chief Executive John Mulholland for the last nine and a half years, look at the number of jobs he has created, along with his backup staff in the council,” said Cllr Aird. 

He said anything that has opened or any job that was created is thanks to Laois County Council. He cited the Junction 17 project in Portlaoise and work on the Avon site in Portarlington. 

“We just seem to have been left behind,” said Cllr Aird. 

Fianna Fail Cllr John Joe Fennelly supported the motion and said it was essential that they get an answer. 

Fine Gael Cllr Barry Walsh agreed with Cllr Aird. He said Laois was in a prime location with excellent connectivity with huge potential. “We need to be pushing it on,” he said. 

Cllr Walsh said the councillors should also raise the matter with the local TDs.

Independent Cllr Aisling Moran said she couldn’t understand why the IDA hadn’t brought more investment to Laois. She said the county was just 90 minutes away from 80 percent of the population of Ireland.