Wicklow County Council has always been to the fore in matters of technology, and has, in recent times, successfully used technology to provide a better service to the people of Wicklow.

The purpose of this part of the Wicklow Internet Web-Page is to provide information about the wide range of programmes and services operated by this local authority, and to seek your advice about the type of information you require from us.

If you have any queries, comments or suggestions please contact us at wickcoco@iol.ie.

Blaise Treacy
Wicklow County Manager

WICKLOW COUNTY COUNCIL is the administrative authority for the County of Wicklow. The Council has a total of 24 Elected Members and 850 employees. Senior Staff

The council provides a wide range of essential services to the people of County Wicklow and pursues initiatives which are totally in sympathy with the environment and which will further the economic well being of the county.

The principal activities of Wicklow County Council are carried out under eight programmes as follows.

• 1. Housing & Building
• 2. Road Transportation & Safety
• 3. Water Supply and Sewerage
• 4. Development Incentives & Controls
• 5. Environmental Protection
• 6. Recreation & Amenity
• 7. Agriculture Education Health & Welfare
• 8. Miscellaneous Services

In this regard Wicklow County Council has striven, particularly in more recent years, to provide a modern infrastructure, viz. road network, sophisticated water and sewerage facilities, as well as the provision of industrial sites and units,which will facilitate the continuing development of the County in an orderly way.

This Council has built the infrastructure which will have the capacity to accommodate any additional worthwhile project that may be located in this County.

Despite the fact that Wicklow has the third largest population growth of any county in Ireland, the economic sectors of manufacturing industry, agriculture and tourism are relatively weak, and the unemployment rate at 23% is unnacceptably high.

For this reason Wicklow County Council must be innovative in its thinking and planning. We must ensure that industrial land is available and that the infrastructure and other supports essential to create job opportunities and a vibrant future for all the inhabitants of the County are in place. It behoves all to achieve the balance between sustainable development on the one hand and the need to protect the natural beauty of the County on the other.

In addition to the statutory duties and responsibilities entrusted to Wicklow County Council, we have adopted a proactive role in generating wealth into the economy of the County.

In recent years Wicklow has developed many local development initiatives with a view to making significant inroads into the problem of unemployment and bringing about an improvement in living standards for the County as a whole..

INITIATIVES

Some of the non-core local initiatives undertaken by the Council include:

• 1. Wicklow Enterprise Centre Adaptation of a 36,000 sq. ft. factory premises into c. 40 small start-up units likely to generate approximately 150 jobs.
• 2. Enterprise Units at Kilcoole, Blessington, Dunlavin, Rathdrum £600,000 invested approximately, 21 units in all completed.
• 3. Industrial Development Provision of Business Park, Industrial Sites at Bray, Kilcoole, Blessington, Baltinglass, Dunlavin, Rathdrum and Arklow.
• 4. Jobs Forum Created to prepare an Economic Development Plan and to assist job creation in the county.
• 5. The Wicklow Film Commission Total investment in films completed and planned in the county is £80 million.
• 6.Tourism Promotion and Development Establishment of County Wicklow Tourism, revenue generated in 1993 in the county was £18 million. An increase in tourist numbers will be reflected in an increase in jobs created.
• 7. Food and Drinks Establishment of resource group to promote and develop this sector and establish a brand name.
• 8.Avoca/Avonmore Conversion Project Regeneration of region leading to environmental, tourist and economic redevelopment.
• 9.Wicklow Gaol Renovation of premises, visitor and interpretative centre expected to attract substantial numbers of visitors per annum when complete.
• 10.Marina, Greystones - Initiation of multi-million pound investment likely to generate significant job numbers during construction and on completion.

Furthermore the Wicklow County Enterprise Board's Strategic Plan 1995 - 1998 has recently been launched. It is envisaged that this plan will be a springboard for increased economic activity in the small business sector. The plan, coupled with the var

County Wicklow, known as the Garden of Ireland, is probably more associated with tourism and sheep farming than with any other economic activity, so that it may come as a surprise that there are over 4,700 people employed in manufacturing industries

With a percentage of its land under forest, it is not surprising that, apart from land, timber is the most important resource in County Wicklow.

The harvesting and processing of natural timber, therefore, plays a very important role in the economy of the county. There are upwards of thirty sawmills of varying size dispersed throughout the County.

Other uses of natural resources include the quarrying and preparation of the famous Wicklow Granite at Enniskerry and Blessington, handwoven tweeds at Avoca, fish processing at Greystones and food processing at a number of locations.

In 1986 County Wicklow was the most urbanised of the counties surrounding Dublin, having 55.9% of its population living in towns with population of 1,500 persons or more.

Council Services

Council Activities

Wicklow County Council, County Buildings, Wicklow, Ireland.
Email us at wickcoco@iol.ie