Delay for Laois fire station reaching construction tenders stage

A six month delay has occurred in the long awaited delivery of a new fire station in the Laois Electric Picnic town, threatening to raise the cost further.

It is four years since the public was consulted on plans for a new fire station for Stradbally in 2021. It is over 23 years since Laois County Council first identified the site for it.

Six months ago in March 2025 Laois County Council told the Leinster Express / Laois Live that it was "delighted" to announce that the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NEFEM) has given the Council the green light to invite tenders for the construction of a 'state-of-the-art' two-bay fire station in Stradbally.

It was estimated then to cost €3.2 million to build.

However by September the NDFEM's approval was still awaited, it was confirmed at the monthly council meeting.

The council's Director of Services Simon Walton said that "we are awaiting approval from the NDFEM (National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management) this afternoon confirming the council can proceed to invite tenders".

Stradbally fire station is the second busiest in Laois, responding to 117 incidents by September this year. Only Portlaoise station is busier.

Cllr John King had said at the meeting that "Stradbally was well on the way, and Rathdowney is second" to get a new station.

Laois County Council CEO Michael Rainey had noted that there were 646 emergency incidents attended by the eight Laois fire crews by mid September, totalling 907 turnouts as some incidents require multiple crews.

"That's a significant number, it also shows the value of that service to the county, not only by fire officers but by firefighters on the ground," he said.

County Councillors previously agreed Part 8 development proposals for the new station at the junction of Main Street and the R427 Abbeyleix Road. It will replace the old Fire Station on Main Street, which was built in 1954 and will be offered for community use.

The Stradbally fire crew moved out of the old station last January, into the old civil defence building which is on the site for the new station. Read more about the plans here.

The money to construct the Station was approved in mid-2023. The design contract with Node Architects was signed over 18 months ago, in February 2024.

Last March, Declan Power Chief Fire Officer at the County Laois Fire and Rescue Service described what the station will mean.

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“This development will be of huge benefit to the firefighters of Stradbally. In additional to the 2-bay unit, the development provides additional facilities for training which, in turn, supports enhancements in the emergency response capacity available to the citizens of County Laois, together with those visiting and passing through the county,” he said.