Annual Budget 2025
Leitrim County Council approves a €60m budget for 2025 and €530m capital investment programme
Leitrim County Council has adopted its first budget of the new Council term which shows a significant increase in scale now reaching €60m for the delivery of a wide array of services and initiatives for the County in 2025. One of the key influencers of the budget is the continued delivery of an ambitious capital investment programme in the coming 6 years which has been estimated at €530m.
The priorities for the Council, in arriving at both financial instruments, are similar to those reflected in the new Corporate Plan approved by the Council recently following the local elections and are as follows;
- The Continued Economic, Tourism, Local and Sustainable Development of the County
- The Strengthening of Community inclusion, Integration and Wellbeing
- Concentration on Public Housing and Infrastructure
- The continued Enhancing of our Town and Villages and supporting our Rural Areas
- Focusing on our heritage and Culture
- Climate Action and Environment Protection
- Emergency services and Preparedness
- Financial Management and Governance
- Organisational Development
The framing of the Capital Investment Programme aims to build on the growth trajectory achieved for the county and as proven in the recent census which has shown a growing population and growing working population. The County is increasingly recognised as a vibrant, well presented and pleasant location to live, work, invest and visit with excellent profile of businesses and strong award-winning communities.
The Chief Executive of the Council, Joseph Gilhooly outlined that “a key feature of the Council’s priorities over the last council term was the development and delivery of an ambition strategic Capital Investment Programme. Going forward a further phase of both ambitious and strategic capital investment is critical given the opportunities for potentially significant funding streams to be secured for worthwhile projects and investments for the County in the five years ahead across Economic Development, Environmental Improvements, Tourism and Recreational Development. Leitrim County Council has played and continues to play a lead role in the County’s progression enabled by an increasingly outward looking and forwarded thinking culture responding effectively to challenges and also embracing an ever-increasing pace of service delivery and service expansion.”
The Cathlaoirleach of Leitrim County Council Cllr Paddy O’Rourke in welcoming both the annual budget scale and capital investment programme stated that “As has been the case since 2020 the capital investment programme prepared is based on a 6-year projection rather than the minimum of 3 years required. This level of forecasting demonstrates the ambition of the Council for projects and investments of scale while also providing the basis for realisticc and prudent assessment of the Council’s position/capacity in the medium term and provides for adequate forward planning for these substantial capital projects which span multiple years. This programme is very ambitious but hugely exciting for the County and its communities and businesses and marks the first Capital Investment Programme prepared following the local elections in June 2024. The programme in place since 2020 has proven to be very successful in achieving hugely important investments for the County over the last number of years and we look forward to even greater success with this programme in the years ahead”.