Kildare County Council Publishes 2025 Annual Report
Kildare County Council has today published its Annual Report for 2025, providing an overview of the Council’s programme of work delivered last year. This report highlights the council's commitment to enhancing the quality of life for the citizens of Kildare through collaboration, innovation, inclusion, and community engagement.
Climate Action
In 2025, Kildare County Council made significant progress in addressing climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Key initiatives included the opening of the DemoHouse, commencement of the Energy Performance Contract (EPC) and completion of the Green 2 Gas project. Kildare County Council also received ISO 50001 Energy Management System Certification in October 2025 for our corporate energy requirements.
Community
The Community section of Kildare County Council continued its focus during the year on advancing the priorities of the Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) 2024–2029, supporting inclusive communities and promoting social inclusion, health and wellbeing throughout the county.
The Council continued to maintain over 20 community centres, house and cabins and oversaw their use for community groups. The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) exceeded targets, working with 103 community groups and 1,157 individuals. The LEADER programme approved three projects worth €433,139. The Kildare Sports Partnership engaged over 27,000 people through various programmes, and the Kildare Public Participation Network registered 863 members, enhancing community involvement with the Local Authority. 2025 also saw the establishment of the Kildare Local Community Safety Partnership (LCSP), which brings together An Garda Síochana, Kildare County Council, Tusla, the HSE and representatives from community, youth and education sectors. The Kildare Child Poverty Initiative was also launched in 2025.
Housing & Regeneration
In 2025, the council delivered direct build units in Osberstown Cottage, Sallins and Barracksfield West, Naas, which is the county’s largest Affordable Purchase Scheme to date (66 new affordable homes in phase 1). Eleven standard units were delivered under The Traveller Accommodation Programme 2025-2029. The refurbishment of Emily Square completed in 2025 and was subsequently nominated for a Public Realm Project of the Year award at the Irish Construction Excellence Awards 2025. Kildare County Council additionally purchased St. Davids Castle, Naas as part of future regeneration projects.
Transportation, Mobility & Open Spaces
Surface dressing and road restoration were completed on 101 kilometers of local and regional roads in 2025. A record drawdown of €11.5M in National Transport Authority Active Travel funding was achieved, progressing over 35 schemes. Additionally, the Royal Canal Greenway from Maynooth to Leixlip was officially opened and the Council continued to modernise its fleet stock with the purchase of 22 electric vehicles (EV).
Environment
The Council adopted a new Litter Management Plan (2026-2028), which sets out strategic objectives to be delivered in partnership with local businesses and communities. The transition of Water Services from Kildare County Council to Uisce Éireann entered its final phase, with full integration planned for completion by end of 2026. Kildare’s Tidy Towns groups recorded an outstanding performance in the 2025 SuperValu Tidy Towns Competition, securing eleven Gold Medals and one Silver Medal. Naas was named Ireland’s Best Kept Town and Best Kept Large Urban Centre 2025, successfully achieving the top national title in both competitions.
Corporate, People & Cultural Services
In 2025, Corporate Services supported 40 elected members, serviced 149 statutory meetings, and webcast 11 Full Council Meetings. A significant electoral event was marked, with the Presidential Election taking place in October. The Customer Service team maintained high performance with 86% of cases responded to within Service Level Agreement targets. Corporate Services progressed a significant programme of electoral register data quality work to prepare Kildare’s Register for migration to Voter.ie, the national shared electoral registration system, to launch in 2026. Kildare County Council is committed to providing quality public services in all official languages of the state and respectfully recognises its statutory obligations and commitments under the Official Languages Acts (OLAs) 2003 and 2021. The council also made significant contributions to libraries and the arts, including the launch of ‘Building for Tomorrow – Kildare Library Service Development Plan 2025–2029’, in June 2025, a 5-year plan setting out a transformative agenda for Kildare’s libraries, positioning them as inclusive, innovative, and sustainable community hubs.
Innovation
In 2025, Kildare County Council demonstrated remarkable progress and commitment to enhancing public services. A new Innovation Portal was launched to provide a central hub for innovation resources, tools and learning materials, supporting staff engagement, communication and access to innovation supports.
Integration
The Kildare Local Authority Integration Team continued its great work in 2025, arranging 214 information clinics, supporting 1,619 people and resolving 1,830 queries. Through the Irish Refugee Protection Programme, 50 programme refugees were resettled and provided with integration supports.
Procurement & Property Management
In 2025, the acquisition of Donaghcumper Lands was completed, and arrangement was put in place for the ownership and management of Donaghcumper House by the OPW. Kildare County Council also developed and introduced a Land Management App, linked to the Property Information Register (PIR) system, that allows real-time inspection of lands in the ownership of Kildare County Council. The Council’s procurement section oversaw the development of a contract risk register and a PROCREF system that is linked to the Council’s financial management system, Agresso. This system allows purchases only to be made where contracts are in place and therefore ensuring procurement compliance. Delivery of Cotton Mills, Naas, as a dedicated file storage and management facility was also completed towards the end of 2025.
Sonya Kavanagh, Chief Executive, Kildare County Council said;
“2025 was a year of significant delivery across Kildare County Council, with progress made across housing, climate action, community development, transport, environment, innovation and corporate services. This Annual Report reflects the breadth of work undertaken by our elected members and staff, working in partnership with communities, agencies and stakeholders across the county. I want to acknowledge the dedication and professionalism of our teams, whose work continues to support inclusive, sustainable and high-quality public services for the people of Kildare.”
Speaking on the final days of her term as Cathaoirleach of the County of Kildare, Cllr Carmel Kelly said;
“It has been a great honour to serve as Cathaoirleach of the County of Kildare and to witness first-hand the commitment, energy and ambition that exists across our communities. The 2025 Annual Report highlights the many ways in which Kildare County Council is working to support people, places and communities throughout the county. I want to thank my fellow elected members, Council staff, community groups and local partners for their continued work in making Kildare a vibrant, inclusive and forward-looking county.”
Kildare County Council’s 2025 Annual Report is available to view here - Publications - Kildare County Council
