€50,000 allocated for public lighting in Kildare area
Public lighting
THERE have been calls for clarity on future funding for public lighting across the Kildare–Newbridge Municipal District (MD), with a focus on improving safety and accessibility in urban areas, especially in the darker months.
Cllr Kevin Duffy brought forward a motion at the most recent Kildare-Newbridge MD meeting, seeking confirmation that, once the Public Lighting Energy Efficiency Project (PLEEP) rollout is completed, funding will be made available to support the installation of new public lighting.
The proposal aims to address gaps in lighting infrastructure and enhance safety for pedestrians and road users.
In response, Kildare County Council confirmed that requests for new public lighting continue to be assessed under the Kildare Lighting Infrastructure Priority Scheme (KLIPS). The scheme provides a structured and transparent process for prioritising projects, taking into account factors such as safety, accessibility, community benefit, and value for money.
The council also highlighted the ongoing demands on the Public Lighting Section, which must balance new installations with significant investment in maintaining and upgrading the existing network. This includes addressing legacy issues such as concentric cabling and progressing the separation of public lighting infrastructure from the ESB network, both of which carry substantial costs.
Officials noted that these works are essential to ensure a resilient, safe, and sustainable lighting system for the county. In addition, the continued operation and maintenance of the network remains a major financial commitment, covering fault repairs, column replacements, energy usage, and overall asset management.
A total of €50,000 in Local Property Tax (LPT) funding has been allocated for new public lighting projects within the municipal district. The council stated that suitable schemes will be advanced from the existing KLIPS register.
Cllr Duffy thanked the council for the extensive report and suggested that including public lighting on the capital programme might do some good in futureproofing the public lighting system in the district, rather than just relying on LPT for funding public lighting projects.
