Local Green Party anger as Laois overlooked by Green Minister

Laois Green Party representatives have expressed anger over the exclusion of Laois from the Pathfinder Project 

Nationally, 35 projects were chosen in response to Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan’s call to local authorities to submit their most innovative, transformative plans for public transport, walking and cycling in their areas – the projects that could make the greatest difference to people living in their counties.

Despite Portlaoise’s Low Carbon Town status, it wasn’t chosen as one of the projects being delivered in the next three years. 

Green Party Councillor Mark Hackett and Portarlington Graiguecullen Representative John Holland are demanding an explanation from Laois County Council.

They claim that an “excellent Pathfinder proposal for Portarlington” was passed over by Laois County Council in favour of “an inferior project” in Portlaoise.  

The Portlaoise plan was then not selected by the Minister who had made the call to local authorities to submit their most innovative, transformative plans for public transport, walking and cycling in their areas, the representatives said. 

Councillor for the Edenderry Municipal District, which includes a part of Portarlington, Mark Hackett said: ‘It is deeply disappointing that an excellent project was passed over. We need an explanation from Laois County Council and a commitment to the project regardless. The funding exists, now we need to ask if the will to see real change does too.”

“Pathfinder is an initiative aimed at ensuring the projects selected are provided the impetus to deliver quickly and demonstrate what can be achieved with the right level of ambition and innovation. Unfortunately, now Laois misses out but we will push on regardless,” said Cllr Hackett. 

Local Area representative for the Portarlington/Graiguecullen area, John Holland said: “I personally worked on the project so I know first-hand that it would have fulfilled the pathfinder criteria. I am asking Laois County Council to explain why the project was not submitted to the pathfinder programme.”

Halloween 'Dress Up' cycle to take place in Laois town

“The project for Portarlington would have made a huge difference for people living in several large estates to make the town and amenities much more accessible on foot or my bike. However, this does not mean this and other worthwhile projects cannot be delivered with haste and I now call on the council to urgently fast track this project using existing active travel funding,” he remarked. 

The Pathfinder Programme forms a key part of the implementation of the National Sustainable Mobility Policy (SMP), which is a vital part of the Government’s plan to meet Ireland’s requirement to achieve a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 in the transport sector.