Laois Council projects shortlisted for excellence at Local Government Awards

Laois County Council has been shortlisted for this year’s Excellence in Local Government Awards for a range of projects run in 2025.

The Excellence in Local Government Awards, held by Chambers Ireland and sponsored by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage recognise and celebrate the outstanding work being carried out by Local Authorities all over Ireland.

 Laois County Council has been shortlisted in the following categories:

• Climate Change for Portlaoise: Ireland’s First Low-Carbon Town, which is working to build a greener, sustainable future for Portlaoise. This initiative will result in less traffic and congestion, reduced emissions, more bike-friendly roads and green spaces, and revitalised buildings in the town centre.
• Health and Wellbeing for the Live Well Health and Wellbeing Expo Event, which welcomed 2,000 people in April of this year. The Expo empowered attendees to age well by taking preventative health measures, promote healthy, active, creative and social living and increase awareness of available supports.
• Local Authority Innovation for MyPay's Robotic Process Automation – Superannuation Starters Project, which digitises pension starter information and implements Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to streamline workflows, enhance data accuracy, and eliminate manual processing.
• Municipal District Initiative for the Refurbishment of the People’s Park in Portarlington which saw a new central plaza, seating, tables, playground equipment, edible garden, tree trail and artwork installed at the People’s Park.

More below photo:

Pictured: Live Well event in Portlaoise College.

As well as being shortlisted individually, Laois County Council has been shortlisted alongside Longford, Offaly and Westmeath County Councils in the Local Authority Innovation category for the Driving STEM in the Midlands Initiative.

Michael Rainey, Chief Executive of Laois County Council, was pleased to be nominated.

“We are delighted to see so many of our projects shortlisted for the 2025 Excellence in Local Government Awards. Our mission at Laois County Council is to improve the lives of Laois and Midlands residents through innovative events, projects, campaigns and supports. This great result is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff to continuously deliver these initiatives across the county,” he told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

Chambers Ireland say the Awards feature a total of 98 Local Authority projects shortlisted across 16 categories, reflecting the dedication and innovation taking place at local government level.

One Local Authority will be awarded the overall award and named Local Authority of the Year 2025. MORE BELOW PHOTO.

The Awards are held annually in conjunction with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The Minister of State for Local Government and Planning, John Cummins TD, spoke after projects from Laois and other counties were shortlisted.

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“I am very pleased that my Department is supporting the Excellence in Local Government Awards again this year. These awards provide a wonderful opportunity to champion the innovative work being done in local authorities all across the country.

“Local authority projects, like the ones shortlisted today contribute to life in our communities in a multitude of ways, and I am delighted to be a part of celebrating these achievements. I want to extend my warmest congratulations to all the shortlisted entrants, and my appreciation to the judging panel who had the unenviable task of choosing between so many worthy entries.”

Commenting on the announcement of the shortlist, Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland, said,

“The Excellence in Local Government Awards continue to grow and evolve, reflecting the dynamic and diverse contributions of Local Authorities nationwide. This year, we are proud to introduce a new category, Celebrating Irish Language and Culture, which honours initiatives that preserve and promote our rich linguistic and cultural heritage.

“The Awards showcase the inventiveness and innovation that Local Authorities are delivering, which so often goes unnoticed. I would like to congratulate each of the shortlisted Local Authorities and acknowledge the excellent work being undertaken at local government level across the country. Their efforts not only enhance community life but also demonstrate the ever-expanding scope and impact of local government today.”

TJ Hunter, Vice President Onshore Ireland & UK, Ørsted, who are headline sponsors of the Awards, added, “The Onshore Ireland team is proud to once again recognise the incredible work going on at a community level all across the Local Authorities of Ireland. The teams being highlighted today play a crucial role in all of our day to day lives and it’s so important to ensure that this hard work doesn’t go unrecognised. Every year, I am blown away by the standard of the projects being shortlisted for these awards and this year is no different. I look forward to seeing the winners announced this November.”

The awards will be presented on Thursday, 27th November in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry, Dublin. The Awards are held annually in conjunction with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.