Demands intensify for EV chargers in ‘neglected’ areas of Laois

Graiguecullen and Portarlington areas are being "neglected" when it comes to the installation of EV chargers, local councillors have argued. 

Councillor Ben Brennan requested an update from Laois County Council as to when EV chargers will be put in Graiguecullen, Killeshin, Ballylinan, Arles and Crettyard at the December meeting of the Graiguecullen / Portarlington MD. 

Cllr Brennan argued that there are lots of EV chargers in Portlaoise, yet these areas have been calling out for them for over two years. 

He told the council: "I want one in our area. The Graiguecullen / Portarlington area is being neglected as far as I'm concerned.

"I'd buy an electric car in the morning but I'd have to go to Carlow to charge it. I can't charge it in Laois unless I go the whole way into Portlaoise. That doesn't make sense."

Two EV chargers were promised to be installed in Graiguecullen over two years ago but nothing has happened since, according to Cllr Brennan.

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He added that he's not optimistic that any substantial progress will be made in 2026.

Supporting the motion by Cllr Brennan, Cllr Paschal McEvoy said that two were also to be installed in Stradbally a couple of years ago, but months later the area they were to be installed at fell through. 

He told the council that one is finally to be installed in the coming months near the Garda Station after three years of seeking the chargers.

Other councillors supported Cllr Brennan’s motion including Cllr Vivienne Phelan, Cllr Padraig Fleming and Cllr Aidan Mullins.

Cllr Phelan said that she herself has been impacted by the lack of EV infrastructure in the municipal district when looking to buy a car recently.

She said : "I would very much like to be able to consider an electric vehicle, but I wouldn't have the confidence at the moment in our municipal district that I would have somewhere to reliably charge it.

"On one hand we're asking people to be green, climate friendly, and reduce their emissions, but that has to go hand in hand with infrastructure. At the moment it's just not there."

Laois County Council responded that they are currently working in collaboration with ZEVI and four other local authorities in the Region 2 group to establish a strategy that will define the roll out of EV infrastructure across the county. The strategy is due for completion in the first quarter of 2026.

Senior Executive Engineer at Laois County Council, Tom Drennan, told the councillors if any areas have "slipped through the cracks" that they should reach out to the council. 

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme