LOCAL ECONOMIC - kilkennycoco.ie · 6 Kilkenny Local Economic and Community Plan Foreword It is a privilege for us to introduce the first Local Economic and Community Plan for County

LOCAL ECONOMIC and

COMMUNITY PLAN

2016 - 2021

Education

Agriculture & Food Business Demography

Population

Health & Wellbeing

Homelessness

Economic Development

Community Development

3Kilkenny Local Economic and Community Plan

Contents

Message from Cathaoirleach 5

FOREWORD 6

VISION STATEMENT 7

Part 1: Setting the Scene 9

1. LOcaL anD ecOnOMic cOMMUnitY PLan (LecP) 10

Background to the LECP 10

The LECP Process 11

Overview of Kilkenny LECP Process 12

Methodology & Consultations 13

Proofing the Plan 15

2. DeMOgraPhic PrOFiLe OF cOUntY KiLKennY 20

Kilkenny Area Profile 20

Population 22

Age Profile of the County 25

Labour Force 26

Education 27

Crime Rates 28

3. enterPriSe PrOFiLe 30

Agriculture & Food Profile 30

Business Demography 35

Health & Wellbeing


4 Kilkenny Local Economic and Community Plan

4. SOciaL anD cOMMUnitY PrOFiLe 40

Deprivation 40

Unemployment 43

Education & Disadvantage 48

Lone Parents 48

Housing 49

Homelessness 50

Health & Wellbeing 52

People with a Disability 52

Ethnic Minorities & Travellers 53

5. SWOt anaLYSiS 55

Part 2: the StrategY 57

6. high-LeVeL gOaLS: theMeS anD PriOritieS 58

7. LecP actiOn SUMMarY 64

Economic Actions 66

Community Actions 90

8. LecP actiOn PLanS 92

Economic Action Plans 92

Community Action Plans 108

9. iMPLeMentatiOn & MOnitOring 125

Appendix I: Memberships of LCDC and SPC1 127

Appendix II: Consultations and Desk Research 129

(i) Plans and Strategies Reviewed 129

(ii) Profile of Mainstream & Voluntary Services 131

LECP ACRONYM INDEX 2015 134


This Local Economic and Community Plan provides a road map for the next 6 years for the local economic

and community development of County Kilkenny.

The approval of the plan by Kilkenny County Council represents an important function under the Local

Government Reform Act.

The process of developing the plan has been a real collaboration between statutory agencies, local

development organisations, elected representatives, local businesses and communities. It has also

provided the basis for a comprehensive examination and understanding of the economic and social

aspects of County Kilkenny.

The implementation of the plan provides a unique opportunity for joined-up thinking and better value for

and co-ordination of publicly funded programmes. I look forward to working with all of the stakeholders

to implement this plan.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the Local Community Development Committee

(LCDC) and the members of the Strategic Policy Committee for Economic Development, Enterprise

Supports and Tourism for their work over the past nine months in overseeing the preparation of this plan.

I firmly believe that the actions contained within the plan will have the potential to deliver better local

services and outcomes for businesses and communities in County Kilkenny.

____________________Cllr Mary Hilda Cavanagh,

Cathaoirleach, Kilkenny County Council

Message from Cathaoirleach


ForewordIt is a privilege for us to introduce the first Local Economic and Community Plan for County Kilkenny

covering the period to 2021.

The Local Community Development Committee and Kilkenny County Council have been entrusted with the

responsibility of promoting local economic and community development in the County through this plan.

The plan represents the culmination of over nine months’ work involving extensive research, public

consultation, analysis, workshops and meetings. We would like to sincerely thank all those who have

participated in the process of preparing the plan. In particular, we would like to take this opportunity

to acknowledge the contribution made by Nickey Brennan to the process during his time as Interim

Chair of the Local Community Development Committee. We would also like to note the input of EXODEA

Europe Consulting Limited and Dr. Maria Power of Community Consultants, in relation to the research

and analysis they conducted, helping provide the rationale for the economic and community elements of

the strategy, respectively.

We are cognisant that the plan is not an end in itself. We are reliant on the willingness of local people,

businesses, communities, organisations and statutory bodies to work collectively to deliver on the

objectives and actions.

There are almost 50 agencies and organisations named in this plan and they each have a critical role to

play in its implementation. We believe that if we all work together to ensure that the actions are delivered,

this plan can make a real difference. We are now mandated to implement the plan and to oversee its

progress on an annual basis.

We invite you to join with us on the journey to realise the vision of this plan to further develop County

Kilkenny as a great place to live, work and play; offering our citizens dignity, security and the capacity to

participate to their maximum potential.

__________________________ __________________________

Cllr Pat Millea Chair of Kilkenny County Council’s Strategic Policy Committee - Economic Development, Enterprise Support and Tourism

Mr Fergus Keane Chair County Kilkenny Local Community Development Committee

VISION STATEMENTKilkenny is a great place to live, work and play; offering its citizens dignity, security and the

capacity to participate to their maximum potential. The Local Economic and Community Plan

will create the framework conditions to ensure that this continues to be the case by:

l supporting the enterprise economy,

l facilitating innovation and entrepreneurship,

l enhancing the visitor experience,

l enhancing educational attainment and skills development,

l developing the rural economy,

l advancing access and communications infrastructure,

l fostering leadership and capacity,

l protecting and utilising the natural, cultural and built environment,

l contributing to regional growth and international potential,

l addressing area based poverty and disadvantage,

l addressing poverty and social exclusion,

l enhancing community facilities and participation, and

l improving health and wellbeing.

Structure of the Plan The plan comprises two parts: Part 1 sets the context for the key issues to be addressed

and the opportunities to be pursued in the strategy, and comprises 5 sections:

l Section 1 provides the background to the LECP, the process undertaken and methodology used to prepare the plan;

l Section 2 provides a demographic profile of County Kilkenny;

l Section 3 comprises a profile of the enterprise sector in the county;

l Section 4 details the social and community profile, and

l Section 5 outlines a summary of the SWOT analysis for the county.

Part 2 sets out the strategy to deliver on the vision set out above, and comprises 4 sections:

l Section 6 outlines the high-level goals, themes and priorities arrived at for the development of the local

economic and community development of the county over the next 6 years;

l Section 7 provides the rationale for the list of economic and community actions;

l Section 8 details the LECP Action Plan and contains details of the key stakeholders, timeframes and

milestones involved in each of the actions, and

l Section 9 provides an overview of the implementation and monitoring arrangements that will be put in

place to ensure the delivery of the actions contained in the plan.



PART 1: SETTING THE SCENE


1. LOCAL AND ECONOMIC COMMUNITY PLAN (LECP)BaCkground to thE LECP

The Local Government Reform Act, 2014 provided the foundation for significant change in the role and

structure of local government, particularly in relation to local, economic and community development.

The legislation provided for:

1. The establishment of a Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) in each local authority area.

2. each local authority, (as per Section 128B of the Local Government Act 2001, inserted by

Section 36 of the 2014 Act), to make a six year Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP)

for its administrative area, in accordance with the principles of sustainable development.

The objective of the County Kilkenny LECP is to further:

l the promotion of economic development, and

l the promotion of local and community development.

The LECP is being developed by the newly established Local Community Development Committee

(LCDC) and Kilkenny County Council’s Strategic Policy Committee for Economic Development,

Enterprise Support and Tourism (SPC1). Members of both committees are listed in Appendix I.

The underpinning principles for the LECP are:

l The promotion and mainstreaming of equality.

l Sustainability – promoting a more resource-efficient, green and more inclusive economy.

l Maximising Returns –through co-operation, collaboration and by avoiding duplication.

l Participative Planning – ensuring meaningful community participation and consultation in the

planning process.

l Community Consultation and Engagement.

l Community Development Principles – addressing social exclusion and providing supports for the most marginalized.

l Accessibility and Ownership – written in a straightforward style.


the LECP ProcessThe Guidelines for the development of the LECP outlined five distinct phases as follows:

Stage 1Preparation

Stage 2Public

Consultation

Stage 3develop objectives

& actions

Stage 4Finalise Plan

Stage 5Monitoring &

review

The LECP identifies specific community, social and economic priorities for the county for the next six years. The expectation is that relevant agencies/organisations working in the county will allocate resources towards the identified priorities, in a co-ordinated manner.

l Establish and analyse the socio-economic evidence base

l Develop evidence base socio-economic statement and high-level goals

l Advisory Group to prepare SPC & LCDC to adopt the statement for public consultation

l 4 week public consultation – socio-economic statement and high-level goals

l Revise statement and refer to Municipal Districts (MDs) and Regional Assembly (RAs)

l Advisory Group prepare SPC and LCDC to adopt statement revised statement for submission to MDs and RAs

l Develop objectives for economic and community elements of the plan, underpinned by measurable actions

l Advisory group to prepare SPC and LCDC to agree objectives and actions

l Advisory group to submit final draft statement, goals, objectives and actions to MDs and RAs

l SPC and LCDC consider and adopt final draft of revised statement, goals, objectives and actions as considered by MDs and RAs

l Local Authority (LA) to adopt final draft of the LECP

l Final plan submitted to the Minister (DECLG) and published by the LA

l Advisory group to monitor progress on actions and against measurable targets for the objectives and actions


Integrated LECP

High-Level Goals

Economic Element Economic & Community Elements Community Element

Specific Objectives Shared Objectives Specific Objectives

All Actions to be

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely (SMART)

Goals Identified Through

Consultations with Key Stakeholders

Hosting of Thematic Focus Groups

Meeting with Municipal Districts

Invitation of Submissions

A Review of All Key Strategies and Plans at National, Regional and Local Level

overview of kilkenny LECP Process


Methodology & Consultations The LECP process commenced in Kilkenny in early 2015. As part of this process an integrated approach

between the Economic Plan and Community Plan elements of the LECP involved consultation and

community engagement as follows:

l A public consultation process was launched on the draft socio-economic statement and high-level goals

in June 2015. An editorial about the process and a public notice in relation to the consultation were

placed in the Kilkenny People newspaper. Hard copies of the draft statement were made available in

County Hall and at all of the library branches throughout the county. An information leaflet explaining

the process was produced with the assistance of the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA). The

information leaflet was distributed widely, including to all groups registered with the Public Participation

Network (PPN). Submissions were invited by email, in writing and online at https://consult.kilkenny.ie.

17 submissions were received from members of the public by post, email or online during this phase

of the public consultation. A copy of the report on this phase of the public consultation can be viewed

on the Kilkenny County Council website.

l Municipal District public consultation meetings were held, where the general public were invited to

discuss the high-level goals of the LECP. These sessions allowed people to express their views on

what, for them, were the priority issues to be addressed in the county, from both a community and an

economic perspective.

l There was consultation on the high-level goals with the elected members of each Municipal District of

Kilkenny County Council.

l For the Community Plan element of the LECP, a series of focus groups were held with key stakeholders

to identify key priorities and actions for the LECP: Youth Unemployment; Lone Parents; Health &

Wellbeing; and Comhairle na nÓg. Agencies involved in these workshops included Family Resource

Centres, Foróige and Ossory Youth, Kilkenny LEADER Partnership, Health Services Executive (HSE)

Health Promotion Department and South East Regional Drugs Task Force.

l The Community Plan element also involved a series of bilateral meetings with stakeholders, to identify

key priorities and actions for the LECP, including:

l Carlow Kilkenny Education and Training Board

l Department of Social Protection – Local Employment and Training Initiatives

l Family Resource Centres – Newpark Close, Fr. McGrath, Droichead, The Mill

l Health Services Executive – Social Inclusion Unit (South East); Health Promotion & Improvement;

Health & Wellbeing Division, Carlow/ Kilkenny

l Kilkenny Integration Forum

l Camphill Community in Callan, County Kilkenny and KCAT ART & Study Centre

l Kilkenny Traveller Interagency (including Kilkenny Traveller Community Movement)

l Kilkenny County Council – Area Office Engineers, Heritage Department, Libraries and Estate

Management.


A number of key stakeholders also made written submissions for consideration in the Community Plan

element including:

l Homeless Services – Homeless Action Team (HAT)

l Lifeline Kilkenny – suicide prevention group

l Kilkenny Recreation & Sports Partnership

l Kilkenny Older People’s Forum

l South East Region Disability Federation

l South East Regional Drugs Task Force / Kilkenny Local Drugs Task Force

l TUSLA – The Child & Family Agency / Children’s Services Committee

l Kilkenny County Council – Arts Officer and Heritage Officer.

l The Ferrybank Steering Committee were also engaged (as part of the Community Development

Strategic Plan).

l The Economic Plan element of the LECP involved a series of bilateral meetings with key stakeholders

to identify key priorities and actions for the LECP. These included:

l Waterford Institute of Technology

l Institute of Technology Carlow

l Maynooth University (NUIM) Kilkenny Campus

l IDA Ireland

l Teagasc

l Fáilte Ireland

l Education & Training Board

l Department of Social Protection

l Key employers

l Kilkenny Tourism

l Construction Industry Federation

l Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce

l Kilkenny Business Club

l Local Enterprise Office clients

l South East Business & Innovation Centre

l Design & Crafts Council of Ireland

l In addition to the work undertaken in relation to the LECP planning process, the LCDC, as part of

the process of preparing the Local Development Strategy for the next LEADER Programme in County

Kilkenny, held 16 thematic (multi-sectoral) focus group sessions covering:

l Rural Tourism/ Food Sector

l Enterprise / Craft Sector

l Rural Towns


l Broadband

l Rural Youth (youth organisations, youth club leaders, Macra na Feirme, Young Farmers)

l Protection & Sustainable Use of Water Resources

l Heritage Forum - Natural, Cultural & Built Heritage

l Renewable Energy

l Farming Community (x 2)

l Family Resource Centres

l Comhairle na nÓg (x 5)

l Five focus group meetings with the Public Participation Network were held as follows:

l Social Inclusion Pillar

l Environment Pillar

l Community Pillar (x 3)

l Detailed economic and community actions were prepared on the basis of the public consultation

process outlined above and these were presented to the LCDC and SPC1 at their meetings held at

the end of October, 2015. It was decided that a further period of public consultation be launched

on the draft actions during the month of November 2015. A public notice was placed in the Kilkenny

People newspaper and hard copies of the draft actions were made available in County Hall and at

all of the library branches throughout the county. All groups registered with the Public Participation

Network (PPN) were notified. Submissions were invited by email, in writing and online at https://

consult.kilkenny.ie. 11 submissions were received by post, email or online during this phase of public

consultation. A copy of the report on this phase of public consultation can be viewed on the Kilkenny

County Council website.

desk researchStatistics were gathered through a number of sources that include:

l Pobal maps: http://maps.pobal.ie/

l AIRO Maps: http://airo.maynoothuniversity.ie//external-content/kilkenny-social-inclusion-monitoring-tool

l Kilkenny County Council GIS mapping tool: http://gis.kilkennycoco.ie/website/internet/viewer.htm

l Central Statistics Office (CSO) statistics and tables: http://www.cso.ie/en/statistics/

Proofing the PlanThe annual action plans of the Kilkenny LECP will be equality-proofed in conjunction with those groups

that are at risk of experiencing discrimination through their membership of any of the nine groups covered

under the Equal Status Acts 2000-2012 against the following key statements:


Equality Equality StatementThe Kilkenny LECP will aim to promote an environment which is fair, transparent and welcoming for all

individuals and organisations: employees, service-users and elected members.

Kilkenny LCDC undertakes to have due regard for the need to eliminate discrimination; to advance equality

of opportunity; to foster good relations when making decisions and when developing and implementing

policies. Kilkenny LCDC in all its practices will, in as far as is possible:

l Bring opportunities closer to those who are most distanced from them.

l Integrate all service provision — public, voluntary, community and private — to benefit the entire

community.

l Secure and direct resources for community benefit.

l Ensure that communities are at the heart of decision-making.

l Develop the working structures and supports to better reflect community concerns.

The Kilkenny LECP will also commit to the promotion of equality under the Equal Status Acts 2000–2012

and to work to automatically include those groups outlined in the Equal Status Acts 2000–2012, and

endeavour to prohibit discrimination on the following nine grounds:

1. The gender ground: A man, a woman or a transsexual person;

2. The marital status ground: Single, married, separated, divorced or widowed;

3. The family status ground: Pregnant, a parent of a person under 18 years or the resident primary

carer or parent of a person with a disability;

4. The sexual orientation ground: Gay, lesbian, bisexual or heterosexual;

5. The religion ground: Different religious belief, background, outlook or none;

6. The age ground: This only applies to people over 18, except for the provision of car insurance to

licensed drivers under that age;

7. The race ground: A particular race, skin colour, nationality or ethnic origin;

8. The Traveller community ground: People who are commonly called Travellers, who are identified

both by Travellers and others as people with a shared history, culture and traditions, identified

historically as a nomadic way of life on the island of Ireland;

9. The disability ground: This is broadly defined including people with physical, intellectual, learning,

cognitive or emotional disabilities and a range of medical conditions.

The Kilkenny LECP, in its policies, practices and services will create the conditions for equality of outcome

that will benefit all people, including those outlined in the Equal Status Acts 2000-2012, in an equitable

way so that outcomes, actions and services are equally beneficial. Kilkenny LECP will also ensure the

equal participation and involvement of all groups outlined in the Equal Status Acts 2000-2012 in the

decision-making processes for which it is responsible.


EnvironmentCounty Kilkenny has a rich and varied built and natural environment. The natural environment includes

the variety of life often referred to as biodiversity, including rivers and woodlands, hedgerows, mammals,

birds and plants. It also includes geology and landscape. Archaeological sites and many other buildings

and structures are features of our built heritage.

Kilkenny’s natural and built environment is a valuable economic resource and is the basis for Kilkenny’s

tourism industry. Kilkenny County Council has a key role to play, through the implementation of the County

Heritage Plan and the Biodiversity Action Plan, in protecting and sustainably managing the heritage

of County Kilkenny for the benefit of current and future generations. It is the stated aim of Kilkenny

County Council to conserve, enhance and manage the county’s natural heritage, including its biodiversity,

landscapes and geological heritage, and to promote understanding of, and sustainable access to it.

Implementation of the Kilkenny LECP will conform to the following:

l The Regional Planning Guidelines and the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (once that is in

place), and

l The provisions of the Kilkenny County and Kilkenny City Development Plans and Local Area Plans,

including provisions requiring sustainable development, and protection and management of the

environment.

Strategic Environmental assessment (SEa) and appropriate assessment (aa)The LECP has undergone Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA)

screening processes in order to establish whether there is a need for further detailed assessment.

SEA is the formal, systematic evaluation of the likely significant environmental effects of implementing a

plan or programme before a decision is made to adopt it. Requirements for SEA are established by the

SEA Directive and transposing Regulations1.

The SEA Screening process – the findings of which are detailed in an SEA Screening Report –has been

informed by consultations with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and it has concluded that SEA

is not required.

AA is a focused and detailed impact assessment of the implications of a strategic action or project, alone

and in combination with other strategic actions and projects, on the integrity of a Natura 2000 site in view

of its conservation objectives.

Natura 2000 sites consist of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and

provide for the protection of Europe’s most valuable and threatened species and habitats. Requirements

for AA are established by the Habitats Directive2 and transposing Regulations3.

Both an SEA Screening Report and an Appropriate Assessment Screening Report were prepared, which


evaluated the requirements for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Appropriate Assessment

(AA) to be undertaken on the LECP, respectively.

The conclusion of the SEA Screening Report is that as the LECP does not set the framework for future

development consent of projects, SEA is therefore not required. Consequently no further consideration

of Schedule 1 to the above Regulations is required. Furthermore, the conclusion of the AA Screening

Report is that Stage 2 Appropriate Assessment is not required to be undertaken on the LECP. It has been

determined that no effects on the integrity of Natura 2000 sites will result from the implementation of the

LECP, either on their own or in combination. Both the SEA and AA Screening Reports (that informed this

determination) are available on the Kilkenny County Council website.

Climate ChangeThe implementation of the LECP will also conform to the National Climate Change Adaptation Framework.

The Framework provides a strategic policy focus to ensure adaptation measures are taken across different

sectors and levels of government to reduce Ireland’s vulnerability to the negative impacts of climate

The overall aim of the Framework is to ensure that an effective role is played by all stakeholders in

putting in place an active and enduring policy regime. The second phase of this Framework involves

the development and implementation of sectoral and local adaptation action plans which will form a

comprehensive national response to the impacts of climate change. Sectoral mitigation and adaptation

action plans will be required under forthcoming legislation. The new Climate Action and Low Carbon

Development Bill, when enacted, will provide a framework for developing a new strategy to achieve

both adaptations (the management of risk associated with climate change) and mitigation measures in

accordance with EU adaptation policy.

Each local authority will be required to formulate and adopt an Adaptation Strategy for their administrative

area which will form part of the County Development Plan. Climate change policy is a loop, not a line.

The local Adaptation Strategy will help build a dynamic relationship between “how much” in emission

reduction policy and “how to” in adaptation and mitigation policy. There is a need for a multi-level and

inter-agency experimental approach to climate change and resource scarcity to ensure that meaningful

“how to” policies can be formulated and implemented.

1 European Communities (Environmental Assessment of Certain Plans and Programmes) Regulations 2004 (S.I. No. 435 of 2004) as amended by European Communities (Environmental

Assessment of Certain Plans and Programmes) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 (S.I No. 200 of 2011).

2 Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora.

3 European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 477 of 2011)


Constraints The successful delivery of the actions in the LECP is co-dependent on a number of factors, in particular:

adequate resources being provided and allocated to named actions, and the co-operation of and

collaboration between agencies and organisations in the delivery of actions agreed. Under-resourcing and

lack of co-operation will, at a minimum, slow down the delivery of actions within the agreed time-frames

and at worst, prevent them being achieved at all.

It is also important to note that not every issue identified through the process has been incorporated into

the LECP. Only actions highlighted as key priorities and which require collaboration of more than one

stakeholder have been prioritised.

It is envisaged that agencies referenced in the LECP will allocate appropriate resources to help deliver

on the priority actions in the LECP, along with their core area of activity. Lead agencies will report, as

appropriate, to the SPC for Economic Development, Enterprise Support and Tourism and the LCDC in

relation to the implementation of priority actions.

Monitoring the implementation of the actions will be critical in measuring the progress and impact of the

LECP. A Monitoring and Implementation Framework has been developed as an integral component of the

Kilkenny LECP (see Section 9.)

2. DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF COUNTY KILKENNYkiLkEnny arEa ProFiLECounty Kilkenny is a medium-sized inland county located in south Leinster, covering just under 2,100

square kilometres. County Kilkenny is part of the newly configured Southern Region and is strategically

located within the southern half of the country. The county has direct access to the Irish Sea, through

Belview Port on the River Suir and through New Ross on the River Barrow.

Kilkenny City is the largest town in the county and dominates the local economy. It is close to Dublin

(115km) and other major urban centres including Cork (145km), Limerick (110km) and Waterford

(48km). Kilkenny is also close to Shannon International Airport (155km) and Rosslare Europort (105km)

(Figure 1).

The River Nore runs through Kilkenny City and bisects the county on a north-south axis. The Rivers

Barrow and Suir are natural boundaries to the east and to the south of the county, respectively.

Figure 1: kilkenny Location Context


0 4 8 12 16 20Scale of Kilometres

NKilkenny LECPeconomic indicators

3rd Level Institutions

South East Region

Co. Tipperary

Co. Laois

Co. Carlow

Co. Wexford

Co.Waterford

NUI MaynoothKilkenny Campus

Institute ofTechnology Carlow

Waterford Instituteof Technology

Limerick Instituteof TechnologyThurles

Limerick Instituteof TechnologyClonmel Teagasc Kildalton

AgriculturalCollege


Figure 2: Map of kilkenny showing electoral areas and divisions.

As part of the local government reforms, County Kilkenny has been divided into 4 electoral areas and 3

Municipal Districts, namely Castlecomer Municipal District, Kilkenny City Municipal District and Piltown

Municipal District (Figure 2).

Kilkenny City is designated as one of nine Hubs in the National Spatial Strategy for Ireland 2002-2020.

Wexford is the only other town in the South East that is designated a Hub, while Waterford City is designated

a Gateway.

As a Hub, Kilkenny City is to play two important associated roles: firstly, as supporter of Gateway growth

and secondly, as a driver for local sub-regional development.


EA Castlecomer

EA Piltown

EA KilkennyCity East

EA KilkennyCity West

N

Clogh

Castlecomer

Moneenroe

Mothell

Mone

enro

e

Clogharinka

Attanagh

Ballyragget

Kilmacar

Muckalee

Ballyconra

Lisdowney

Rathbeag

Coolcraheen

Kilkieran

Rathcoole

Tiscoffin

Shankill

Paulstown

GoresbridgeGowran

Odagh

Ballinamara

Ballycallan

Kilmanagh

Balleen

Freshford

Tullardan

Rathealy

Ballybeagh

Turbridbrittain

Clonmantagh

Glashare

Glamoy

Urlingford

Baunmore Johnstown

Dunmore

Kilkenny No. 2Urban

Clara

Dunbell

BennettsbridgeBramblestown

Powerstown

UllardTullaherin

GraiguenamanaghKilfinaneWollengrange

Thomastown

Famma FreaghanaJerpointChurch

KnocktopherKiltorcan

CoolhillInistioge

Bally

vool

Albe

rsts

own

BallyhaleCastlebanny The Rower

St. C

anice

Kilkenny Rural

Grange OutrathTullaghanbrogue

Scotsborough

CallanUrbanCallan Rural

Earlstown

BurnchurchDanesfort

Ennisnag

Kells

Coolaghmore

Malla

rdst

own

Dunnamaggan

Stonyford

Kilkenny No. 1Urban

Kilmaganny

CastlegannonKilkeasy

Killamery

Boolyglass

Aghaviller

Shanbogh

RosberconRural

Dysa

rtmoo

n

Brownsford

ListerlinJerpointWest

Killahy

Muckalee

TempleorumPilltown

Whi

tech

urch

Tullahought

Ullid

Tubrid

Fiddown

FarnogeKilbride

Kilbeacon

Dunkitt

Rathpatrick

RossinanKilcolumbBallincrea

Kilmakevoge

AglishPortnascully

Pollrone

Kilculliheen

KilkennyCity

Callan

New Ross

Castlecomer

Ferrybank

Thomastown

Piltown


PopulationCentral Statistics Office (CSO) Census 2011 records reveal the population of County Kilkenny as 95,419,

which is an increase of 7,861 over the population recorded in 20064. This is a 9% population increase for

the county over the period, and compares well with the State, which averaged an increase of 8% over the

same period. Kilkenny City (environs and former Borough Council area combined) recorded a population

of 24,423 in 2011, which is an increase of 2,244 (10.1%) over the population recorded in 2006.

Table 1: Recorded Population 1996 - 2011

1996 2002 2006 2011

Kilkenny County 75,336 80,399 87,558 95,419

Kilkenny City5 18,696 20,735 22,179 24,423

Population trendsCensus 2011 reveals the State has shown strong population growth since 1996, with increases of

approximately 8% in each of the inter-censal periods. County Kilkenny has reflected this trend, with

growth rates of 6.7%, 8.9% and 9% within the last 3 inter-censal periods respectively. Migration into the

State has fallen from the high levels between 2002 and 2006 when it averaged 45,000 per annum, to

about 25,000 per annum between 2006 and 2011. While there has been a large reduction in the rate of

immigration, the increase in the overall number of immigrants over the period is still significant, given the

economic downturn since 2007. Kilkenny has reflected this trend, with net migration of 3,895 (49% of

total population increase) into the county between 2006 and 2011. The corresponding figure for 2002

to 2006 was 4,986 (69% of total population increase).

Population Change: urban areas The major focus for expansion in population has been in Kilkenny City environs and the Ferrybank area

(Waterford City environs within County Kilkenny). An increase of 2,244 persons was recorded in Kilkenny

City environs in the period 2006 to 2011 while the Ferrybank area recorded an increase of 1,322 persons

over the same period. Those two areas combined accounted for 44% of the total population increase

within the county. It is also significant to note that the Ferrybank area is now consolidated as the second

largest urban area in the county after Kilkenny City. Its population has increased by 123% since 2002.

Table 2: Population of the main Kilkenny towns and Ferrybank area

2002 2006 2011

Callan 1,325 1,771 2,330

Castlecomer 1,482 1,531 1,456

Graiguenamanagh6 1,166 1,097 1,252

Thomastown 1,600 1,837 2,273

Ferrybank Area 2,142 3,465 4,787

4 http://www.cso.ie/en/census/census2011reports/census2011thisisirelandpart1/

5 Figure for Kilkenny City is for the Borough Council area plus the environs of the City within the county area.

6 These figures do not include the Tinnahinch area in Graiguenamanagh, which is located within Co. Carlow.


Table 2 shows that Callan and Thomastown have performed well in terms of population growth since

2002, while Castlecomer and Graiguenamanagh have mixed performances showing both increases and

decreases respectively in both census periods. The population of the county within aggregate town areas

as defined by the census has increased from 35.3% in 2006 to 37% in 2011. This shows that the

proportion of the population living in urban areas7 is gradually increasing.

Population Change: rural areas Figure 3 shows the population change across all rural Electoral Divisions (EDs) in the county between

2006 and 2011. There are 113 Electoral Divisions in the county and of these, 12 experienced a decrease

in population. The most significant of these was Castlecomer ED which experienced an actual decrease

of 114 persons.

There were 31 CLÁR areas identified in County Kilkenny in 2011 (highlighted in Figure 4). The CLÁR

Programme, introduced in 2001, was targeted at a number of rural areas where population decline had

been the most significant over the 1926 to 1996 period (based on CSO Census of Population data) and

was introduced to address depopulation and deficits in infrastructure and services in rural areas.

The report This is Ireland – Highlights from Census 2011, Part 1 (CSO, 2011) showed that from 2006

to 2011 the Irish urban population ncreased by 10.6% while the rural population only grew by 4.6%.

Kilkenny City experienced a percentage growth increase of 0.6%; while this is well below the national

average, Kilkenny City environs had a much greater rate of growth. In each of the rural towns in Kilkenny

there have been differing rates of growth and decline as seen in the table below.

Please note- Figure 3 represents the rural Electoral divisions (Eds) in Ferrybank only

7 Urban areas as defined by CSO, i.e. towns with populations of 1,500 or more. If Tinnahinch is included within Graiguenamanagh, then the population of the town would be 1,543.


Figure 4: CLÁr areas and population centres in County kilkenny. Population ForecastsCensus 2011 recorded an actual population figure of 95,419 for the county. Table 3 gives population

targets using the Regional Planning Guidelines (RPG) figures that have been adjusted to take account of

Census 2011 results.

Table 3: Adjusted Regional Planning Guidelines figures

2011 Actual 2012 20148 2016 2020 2022

Kilkenny County 95,419 96,873 99,781 105,598 109,802 111,903

Kilkenny City 24,423 24,723 25,323 25,800 27,400 28,200

Ferrybank/Belview 4,7879 4,953 5,287 5,412 6,412 6,500



Principal Settlements

Dublin

M8

Cork

M8

Dublin

M9

KilkennyCity

WaterfordEnvirons

New RossEnvirons

Castlecomer

Graiguenamanagh

Thomastown

Callan

Ballyragget

Freshford

Clogh

Johnstown

Urlingford

Kilmanagh

Bennettsbridge

Paulstown

Goresbridge

Gowran

StoneyfordKells

InistiogeKnocktopher

BallyhaleKilmaganny

PiltownFiddown

Mooncoin

Kilmacow

Mullinavat

Glenmore

Slieverue

CarlowTown

Hub

Gateway

Large Town

District Town

Small Town/Village

Area Under Urban Influence

Stronger Rural Area

Area of Population Decline

Motorway

Rail Line

National Secondary Road

National Primary Road

8 The 2014 figures are obtained by disaggregating the RPG figures and applying the same growth rates to the Census 2011 figure.

9 The population increase in the environs of Waterford is 1,000 people from 2010 to 2016, a rate of 166.6 per year. This figure is for the Kilculliheen & Aglish EDs only;

it does not relate to the entire Ferrybank/ Belview Local Area Plan area.


age Profile of the County

Table 4: Age & Gender Profile in Kilkenny Population

AGE MALE FEMALE TOTAL

<1-3 3,163 2,896 6,059

4-12 6,353 6,051 12,404

13-19 4,519 4,298 8,817

20-24 2,594 2,588 5,182

25-29 3,049 3,350 6,399

30-34 3,779 3,789 7,568

35-39 3,850 3,778 7,628

40-44 3,445 3,435 6,880

45-49 3,278 3,289 6,567

50-54 3,128 3,010 6,138

55-59 2,736 2,629 5,365

60-64 2,472 2,250 4,722

65-69 1,927 1,918 3,845

70-74 1,352 1,396 2,748

75-79 1,031 1,198 2,229

80-84 657 861 1,518

85+ 455 895 1,350

Total 47,788 47,631 95,419

Percentage of Population by age groups

n 0-12 Years

n 13-24 Years

n 25 - 49 Years

n 50 - 85+ Years


age dependency ratio‘As a proportion of the population, over 65s are growing faster than any other group and are expected

to double in numbers by 2040,’ (Action Plan for Jobs, 2014). Haase and Pratschke (2012) determine

that counting those who are dependent as an indicator of the Labour Market Situation is important where

demographic growth is a measurement.

In Kilkenny the rate of dependency has increased by 4.6% compared to an increase of 5.1% for the

country as a whole between 2006 and 2011. The age dependency rate allows us to make provision for

the future of the country’s population in relation to areas such as healthcare, housing and welfare.

There also has been an increase in births since the onset of the downturn and similarly to the rest of

Europe, Ireland has a rising population of people over 65. This means that Kilkenny, like many other

counties will have to plan for a future ageing population.

Local Authority Area Age DepRate1991 %

Age DepRate1996 %

Age DepRate2002 %

Age DepRate2006 %

Age DepRate2011 %

% Change 2006 - 2011

Kilkenny 39.9 37.0 34.2 32.9 34.5 4.6table 5: age dependency rate: Percentage of population aged under 15 or over 64 years (www.pobal.ie)

Labour ForceCensus 2011 revealed that there were 46,265 persons aged 15 years and over in the labour force in

County Kilkenny, of which 80.6% (or 37,273 persons) were at work. Of those at work 9,054 worked

outside the area. The day-time working population (resident and non-resident) of County Kilkenny was

therefore 27,485 with commerce and trade being the largest employment sector.

The total number of people in the labour force in County Kilkenny fell by almost one in ten (9.9%) in the

period 2006 to 2011, compared to an almost 6% increase in the labour force nationally over the same

period. This may be explained in part by the age profile of the county outlined in Table 4, and perhaps by

sections of the labour force in the county that have migrated or emigrated in search of work during the

recent period of recession.

The numbers in the labour force across all industry occupations experienced a decline in the period

2006 to 2011, except professional services (which experienced an increase of 24.4%), transport and

communications (which increased by 17.3%) and public administration (which increased by 13.7%).

The industry sectors that experienced the greatest decline in labour force numbers over the period were

building and construction — down almost two thirds (65.6%) — and manufacturing, down by just under

a fifth (18.1%).

There are now comparatively fewer people in the labour force in building and construction in County

Kilkenny (at 5.7%) than the State (at 6.4%). The main occupation sectors in County Kilkenny in 2011 were


professional services (24.5%) and commerce and trade (23.8%). The manufacturing sector remained

an important sector in the county, accounting for 12.2% of the labour force, higher than the comparative

figure for the State (at 9.3%).

While the percentage of the labour force in agriculture, forestry and fishing (at 8.2%) in County Kilkenny

also fell (by 7.3%) between 2006 and 2011, the proportion of the labour force accounted for by this

sector is still almost twice the national average, reflecting the importance of agriculture, especially to the

rural areas of County Kilkenny.

The dramatic reduction in the building and construction sector, and the continuing retraction in agriculture

and in manufacturing, increases the need to provide alternative sources of employment for these sections

of the labour force into the future.

.

Figure 5: Social Class

In Kilkenny, the proportion of workers in the professional classes (34.9%) and the proportion in the lower-

skilled professions (17.6%) mark a class composition that is almost identical to the national average.

Unskilled workers and semi-skilled workers typically have skills that are associated with the building

and construction sector and these categories have the lowest percentages of gainful employment within

County Kilkenny.

Education Census 2011 statistics for County Kilkenny show that, for those aged 15 years and over, whose full-time education had ceased, 15.1% were educated to at most, primary level only; a further 58.1% attained second level, while the remaining 26.8% were educated to third level.

There has been a continuous improvement in the level of education amongst the adult population over

the past 20 years throughout Ireland. In 1991, 36.7% of the adult population in the state had primary

level only. This had dropped to half that level (18.9%) by 2006 and even further (to 16%) by 2011.

Percentage of Employment by occupation Sectors

n Professional workers 7%

n Managerial and technical 28%

n Non-manual 17%

n Skilled manual 17%

n Semi-skilled 11%

n Unskilled 4%

n All Others Gainfully occupied and unknown 16%


Between 2006 and 2011 the adult population with primary level only in the State had decreased by 2.9

percentage points. The rate for County Kilkenny has fallen from 35.7% in 1991 to 15.1% in 2011.

table 6 outlines the highest education attainment for males and females in County kilkenny.

Table 6: Highest education attainment males and females aged 15+

Primary ( Incl. no formal education)

Lower Secondary

Upper Secondary

Third Level- Non-Degree

Third Level Degree or Higher

Not stated

Males 5,186 6,854 5,801 7,222 5,320 1,061

Females 4,010 5,337 6,987 6,232 5,431 1,168

Total Persons

9,196 12,191 12,778 13,454 10,751 2,229

Source: CSo Census of Population 2011

Crime rates A breakdown of more than a quarter of a million criminal offences recorded in Ireland last year shows

that one person in every 20 was affected by a crime. However, despite the spikes for certain offences in

parts of the country, the overall rate of crime fell by 7% last year and is at its lowest level in a decade.

Even though many offences are up, there has been an overall drop in the crime rate, driven by sizeable

reductions in criminal damage, drink-driving and public order offences. Of the offences that are up, many

are associated with the economic downturn.

The crime rate in Kilkenny, across all crimes committed, has fallen significantly over the five year period

from 2011 to 2015. This is attributed to the many Garda initiatives that have been put in place locally to

combat crime. Some of these initiatives include:

l public support and consent,

l relationship-building with community groups,

l flexible, committed professional personnel,

l high-visibility policing strategy,

l organisational focus on crime prevention,

l targeting of top offenders within County Kilkenny & County Carlow,

l pro charge of offenders,

l curfew of offenders before courts,

l real-time intelligence gathering, immediately actioned,

l crime investigation management, and

l divisional operations.


The following tables outline the decline in crime rates in Kilkenny over a five-year period.

Crime Category 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015(ytd)

Robbery of an Establishment 11 13 3 4 3

Robbery from Person 12 5 11 6 8

Aggravated Burglary 6 3 1 2 3

Burglary 583 539 554 527 275

Theft from Person 24 29 19 36 19

Theft from Shop 280 303 286 370 277

Possession of Drugs – Sale and Supply 52 41 30 37 7

Possession of Drugs – Personal Use 174 173 224 189 120

Criminal Damage 446 349 344 351 236

table 7: decline in crime rates over a five-year period (Source: kilkenny garda Station 2015 )

Crime Category 2011 2015Projected

% Change

Robbery of an Establishment 11 4 -64%

Robbery from Person 12 11 -11%

Aggravated Burglary 6 4 -33%

Burglary 583 367 -37%

Theft from Person 24 25 6%

Theft from Shop 280 369 32%

Possession of Drugs – Sale and Supply 52 9 -82%

Possession of Drugs – Personal Use 174 160 -8%

Criminal Damage 446 315 -29%

table 8: Percentage decline in crime rates over a five-year period


3. ENTERPRISE PROFILE agriCuLturE & Food ProFiLEThe agriculture sector is an important sector to the local economy of County Kilkenny, with almost twice

the proportion of the labour force gainfully employed in this sector compared to the national average.

agricultural WorkforceAccording to Census 2011, 2,678 people were employed in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector.

The CSO Census of Agriculture measures the labour input of each person who works on the farm in terms

of Annual Work Units (AWUs), with one AWU being defined as 1,800 hours or more of labour per person

per annum. Table 8 outlines the farm labour input in County Kilkenny as defined by number of persons

and AWUs

table 8: County kilkenny- Farm Labour input by number of Persons and annual Work units (aWu)

Census YearPersons (AWU) 1991 2000 2010 % change 2000-2010Holder* : Persons 4,4,17 3,763 3,725 -1.01%Holder : AWU 3,862 3,026 2,979 -1.55%Spouse : Persons 1,703 1,393 1,414 1,51%Spouse: AWU 1,254 785 632 -19.49%Other Family: Persons 2,275 1,907 2,329 23.12%Other Family: AWU 1,598 923 1,031 11.70%Non Family Labour :Persons 604 570 594 4.21%Non Family Labour :AWU 505 328 359 9.45%Total Persons 8,999 7,633 8,062 5.62%Total Farm AWU 7,219 5,061 5,002 -1.17%

*The Farm Holder is the legal owner of the family farm

Table 9 outlines the decline in the number of farmers in the younger age categories in the period 1991 to

2010. The average age of Irish farmers is 57 years. A particular concern in Ireland and across the EU is

the ageing workforce in agriculture, mainly due to the fact that farmers tend not to retire.

table 9: County kilkenny: number of families by age of holder

Census YearFarmers Age 1991 2000 2010Under 35 677 540 24335-44 909 885 72245-54 991 932 99555-64 1,004 702 91164 and over 836 704 854All Ages 4,417 3,763 3,725


regional overviewThe total number of farms in Ireland decreased by around 2,000 (approximately 1.2%) in the ten years

between 2000 and 2010. The average farm size in Ireland in 2010 was 32.7 hectares, whilst in the

Southern and Eastern region the average farm size was larger at 38.6 hectares.

table 10: Farm Size – County kilkenny number of Farms by farm size (aau)

Census YearFarm Size (Hectares) 1991 2000 2010 % change 2000-2010Farms less than 10Ha 687 466 425 -8.80%Farms from 10 to less than 20Ha 764 550 560 1.82%Farms from 20 to less than 30Ha 737 541 509 -5.91%Farms from 30 to less than 50Ha 1,147 1,014 964 -4.93&Farms from 50 to less than 100Ha 915 993 1,062 6.95%Farms equal / greater than 100Ha 188 206 217 5.34%Total Farms 4,438 3,770 3,737 -0.88%

Table 10 demonstrates that the average size of farms in County Kilkenny has changed significantly during

the period 1991 to 2010, with the number of farms of less than 10 hectares reducing by 38.14%,

representing only 11% of the total number of farms in 2010, compared to 15% in 1991.

Crops and tillage ProjectionsTillage crops are grown on only 10% of the agricultural land in the region and fewer than 100 farmers in

the region have tillage as their main farm enterprise. Tillage crops are concentrated in three main areas in

the region: the Blackwater Valley in west Waterford, the Suir Valley in south Kilkenny, and mid-Kilkenny.

The opportunities for cereal crops include: 1. the expansion in the number of micro-breweries and micro-

distilleries that has taken place in recent years leading to an increase in demand for malting barley; and 2.

the increase in demand for oats for human consumption from companies such as Flahavan’s in Waterford

and from Glanbia. The challenges to be met are price volatility, land availability and environmental

management. Some of these challenges will be met through the Teagasc Strategy 2015-2020 as it aims

to increase profitability by more rotation of crops, use of protein crops as break crops and growing of a

wider range of crops, while protecting the environment.

Over the inter-censal period 1991 to 2010 the area of County Kilkenny being farmed, reduced by 3,197

hectares (or 1.91%).


table 11: Crop Production in kilkenny: area Farmed and area under Selected Crops

Census YearCrops ( Hectares) 1991 2000 2010 % change 2000-2010Total Cereals 19,831 16,800 15,062 -10.35%Potatoes 931 470 398 -15.32%Total Crops 24,031 22,514 19,019 -15.12%Silage 37,041 44,705 45,469 1.71%Hay 14,916 9,864 8,089 -17.99%Pasture 83,580 78,623 86,870 10.49%Rough Grazing 8,232 4,759 5,068 6.49%All Areas Farmed 167,801 160,465 164,604 2.58%

Figure 6: County kilkenny: Profile of Selected Crops 2010

Source: CSo Census of agriculture 2010

Livestock Production The abolition of milk quotas, changes in income tax reliefs for land leasing; a broadening of partnership

rules, and the introduction of share farming combined with a growing demand for food, all provide an

opportunity for farmers to exploit the natural advantages of the people, land and climate in the region.

Lack of profitability, a high dependency on EU payments, increased production costs and the age profile

are some of the challenges facing the region’s beef farmers. There is a need to stabilise suckler cow

numbers in the region by improving profitability and where appropriate, to exploit the opportunity of an

increasing number of beef calves from the dairy herd.

The challenges facing the region’s sheep farmers are similar to those of beef farmers. The vast majority of

flocks in the region are farmed in conjunction with a beef enterprise. The flocks in Kilkenny and Waterford

are very different: the Kilkenny flocks are lowland sheep only, and the Waterford flocks are predominantly

hill sheep. Sheep farming has declined significantly in the last 10 year census period.

n Pastures Ha 48%

n Rough Grazing Ha 3%

n Total Cereals Ha 8%

Potatoes Ha 0%

n Total Crops Ha 11%

n Silage Ha 25%

n Hay Ha 5%


According to the CSO Census of Agriculture, the dairy herd size in Kilkenny remained comparatively

consistent between 1991 and 2010. Dairying is more exposed to market forces unless the farm and herd

size is significant.

table 12: County kilkenny- number of Selected Livestock

Census YearLivestock (Head) 1991 2000 2010 % change 2000-2010Bulls 1,298 2,319 2,065 -10.95%Dairy Cows 60,858 56,155 58,725 4,58%Other Cows 26,424 40,329 41,762 3.55%Other cattle 226,263 232,033 218,625 -5.78%Total Cattle 314,843 330,836 321,177 -2.92%Rams 3,876 2,942 1,676 -43.03%Ewes 148,337 117,125 52,434 -55.23%Other Sheep 142,617 94,597 54,296 -42.60%Total Sheep 294,830 214,664 108,406 -49.50%Horses 3,045 2,902 4,022 38.59%

The number of horses in the county increased between 2000 and 2010, and despite the impact of the

economic downturn, the horse industry is still a big revenue generator in Ireland. There were 7,781

registered thoroughbred breeders in Ireland in 2012 and nearly 1.2 million people attended race meetings

during the year. Over 9,000 horses are in training and there are over 20,697 registered stallions, mares

and foals in the country. Irish thoroughbred breeders sold horses for more than €86m at auctions in

Ireland, Britain and France in a recent three-week period.

The contribution of the Irish sport horse sector, which caters for various other disciplines, such as show

jumping and dressage, is also impressive. It is worth over €708m to the economy, directly employs

11,417 people, and involves 47,096 people overall. A total of 6,599 sport horses, to the value of €26.1m

were exported in 2011, with net exports amounting to €15.9m.

There are an estimated 124,000 sport horses in Ireland. They contribute to the household incomes of

29,295 people. Sport horse breeding accounts for a total expenditure of €226m within the economy and

the sector has 15,110 active breeders.

Kilkenny has Gowran Park Race Track, Connolly’s Red Mills animal feed, Goresbridge Horse Sales, a

number of equestrian centres and several stud farms.


Figure 7: County kilkenny relative Livestock herd Sizes 2010

Source: CSo Census of agriculture 2010

ForestryThe forestry sector is relatively young but is increasingly important in the national economy. It has a vital

role to play in the context of rural development. Over the past decade the importance of wood processing

as a component of the sector has greatly increased, as levels of roundwood output have grown and

the return on State and private investment in afforestation, and related areas, becomes more tangible.

This trend will continue as the scope of forestry policy broadens, with increasing attention being paid

to competitiveness in the growing and processing of forestry products, and to Ireland’s comparative

advantage in growing wood.

The national forest estate has increased from a modest 89,000 hectares (ha) in 1928 to 731,650 hectares

by the end of 2012; an area that represents 10.5% of the total land area of the country Redmond (2013).

Approximately 46% is privately owned while the remaining 54% is publicly owned, primarily by Coillte

Teoranta. Up to the 1980s almost all afforestation was undertaken by the State. It was not until the

introduction of the State/ EU funded forestry grant and annual payment, premium schemes that private

landowners — mainly farmers — began to plant significant amounts of forest.

Non-native species represent 76.2% of the total forest area, with native species accounting for the

remaining 23.8%. The total growing stock is estimated at 70 million cubic metres, with 74% being in

publicly-owned forests.

The forestry industry, comprising the growing, harvesting and processing of forest products makes a

significant and increasing contribution to the Irish economy. In 2010, the total value to the economy of the

forestry growing sector was €673 million, while the overall forestry sector contributed an estimated €2.2

billion (FORECON 2011). Forests now support a substantial export market in timber and timber products.

With growth rates of certain species in the country more than double those achievable in other European

countries, Ireland has a strong comparative advantage in the growing of wood fibre. It is vitally important

n Other Cattle (Head) 50%

n Other Cows (Head) 10%

n Dairy Cows (Head) 14%

Bulls (Head) 0%

n Horses 1%

n Other Sheep (Head) 13%

n Ewes (Head) 12%

Rams (Head) 0%


that future afforestation harnesses this advantage through the use of suitable reproductive material,

appropriate species choice and suitable site types. Such an approach will contribute to the sustainability

of raw material supply and enhancement of carbon sequestration, and towards ensuring sustainable

supplies of renewable energy in line with the legally-binding 16% renewable energy 2020 target under

the EU Renewable Energy Directive.

Forestry plays an increasingly important role in rural development, not only through the diversification of

farm income but also through the provision of rurally-based employment, both of which contribute to rural

stabilisation and viability. In 2010 the total employment supported by the forestry sector was estimated

to be 12,000 with the majority of jobs rurally-based (FORECON 2011). 15,000 hectares per year level

of afforestation would result in the creation of an estimated additional 490 jobs in planting, managing,

harvesting and processing (Ní Dhubháin et al, 2006).

County Kilkenny has 3.6% of the national total of usable land. The land in the main is fertile and 88%

of it is set in pasture. A significant area is in woodland (11.2%), and much of this is commercial forestry

(9.2%) that comes into maturity over the next 20 years. This could provide an opportunity in both the

immediate and long-term future, in terms of producing wood fuels (biomass) from thinnings and felling

residues. Horticultural crops make up 22% and tillage accounts for 13.8% of the usable land area in the

county. In the south west of Kilkenny in particular, there is significant employment in the horticultural

sector, (including in Iverk Produce), which could be explored more for development as part of an agri-

food strategy for the county.

BuSinESS dEMograPhy number of Businesses

The CSO’s Business Demography Survey 2012 found that there were 3,273 businesses operating in

County Kilkenny, employing 13,970 people.

The number of businesses in the county fell across all NACE10 categories during the period 2006 to 2012,

except in mining and quarrying (where the number of businesses is very small, and increased from 11 to

13). The total number of businesses fell by over 700 (or 17%) during the recession, from 3,996 in 2006

to 3,273 in 2012. The numbers employed in each business sector also declined during the period by

an average of 23%, except in the financial and insurance business sector, which experienced a slight

increase of 3%, highlighting the critical importance of this sector to the local economy.

The Gateways and Hubs Development Index (GHDI) 2012 provides a detailed breakdown and assessment

of the socio-economic performance of individual Gateways and Hubs as designated under the National

Spatial Strategy for Ireland 2002-2020 (NSS).

10 NACE is a Statistical Classification of Economic Activities developed in the European Community.


The Business Demography Survey 2012 identifies the importance of the Manufacturing, Wholesale and

Retail, and the Accommodation and Food sectors, as measured by the level of employment supported

in County Kilkenny. These three sectors accounted for some 70% of all business employees in 2012.

Belview Port is the nearest deep water Irish port to mainland Europe, providing a saving to shippers of

both time and fuel, while being a natural hub for the integration of port, shipping, road and rail freight

services. The Belview Development Zone is 6km from Waterford City and is an ideal location for industry,

especially in agri-business. The zone incorporates 265 hectares of zoned land, including a strategic IDA

land bank, the Marine Point Business Park and Belview Port. Agri-food businesses that locate in Belview

benefit from a good transport infrastructure with direct access to the national motorway network.

County Kilkenny is not overly reliant on a small number of large industries for employment, but has a rich

diversity of mainly indigenous enterprises across the full spectrum of industry sectors. There are only four

businesses in the county classified as large (i.e. employing more than 250 people), namely Glanbia plc,

State Street International, Bank of Ireland Credit Card Services and VHI Healthcare.

The following sectors are particularly important (especially in terms of employment) to the local economy:

Agri-Food; Engineering; Creative Industries; Construction; Retail; Tourism, Arts and Leisure; and Financial

Services, Information Technology, and associated Research & Development. A brief profile of each of

these sectors is provided in the following sections:

agri-foodThe major companies operating in the agri-food sector within County Kilkenny include Glanbia plc and

Connolly’s Red Mills, complemented by an emerging artisan food producer base of approximately 40

micro and medium-sized food producers.

Glanbia plc has its Global Nutritionals headquarters and the Group's main Innovation Centre located

in Kilkenny. Glanbia is a leading international dairy food and performance nutritional ingredients group

employing 5,800 people across 134 countries, and is the largest mozzarella producer in Europe. The

company has its headquarters in Kilkenny and employs almost 700 people, making it the largest employer

in the county. Glanbia has developed a research and development facility in Kilkenny, which employs

over 50 research professionals. Glanbia Ingredients Ireland recently invested €150 million in the largest

dedicated dairy powder facility in the country, at Belview in South Kilkenny.

There are a number of much smaller food producers spread throughout the county. However, relative to

its size, and despite the high level of primary agricultural production, the county has comparatively few

value-added food producers.


Engineering Manufacturing businesses experienced significant decline (down 12%) between 2006 and 2012, with the

numbers employed falling by an even greater proportion (at 23%). The manufacturing sector accounted

for 8.7% of all businesses in the county in 2012 and 22% of the total number employed by all businesses.

Engineering products and services are a major component of the manufacturing sector and of the local

economy. Kilkenny Engineering Products Ltd was a seedbed for the development of many engineering

companies throughout the county since the early 1980s. Kilkenny Engineering Products was set-up as a local

community-based enterprise in the 1950s to help counter unemployment at that time. Today engineering

in Kilkenny embraces a wide range of activities in many different engineering sectors from fine-precision

engineering products, distributed worldwide, to small mechanical and tooling engineering services.

Creative industriesThere are over 50 registered craft producers in the county, operating in the manufacturing sector. Kilkenny

is associated with creative and artistic activity, and is branded as the Creative Heart of Ireland. As the

base for the Kilkenny Design Workshops (KDW) from the 1960s to the 1980s, the workshops pioneered a

cross-disciplinary approach to design, with craft, graphic and product designers all working in the same

organisation. This approach developed an international reputation for KDW and attracted designers from

many different countries to work in a centre of excellence for product and craft design.

KDW has spawned a cluster of creative industries and services, in artistic endeavours leading to the

establishment of master designers in jewellery, ceramics and artisan crafts. In addition, the creation of

Young Irish Film makers has in part led to the success of the digital media, graphic design, film, multi-

media and animation, including Cartoon Saloon (a twice Oscar nominated animation studio).

ConstructionDuring the peak years of the Celtic Tiger period11, construction accounted for some 20 % of national

economic activity. Currently the sector accounts for approximately 5% of national economic activity. The

number of construction businesses in County Kilkenny fell by approximately 28% in the period 2006 to

2012, and the numbers employed in the sector fell by over half (down 52%) during the same period.

However, the construction sector still accounts for almost a quarter of all businesses in the county (at

23%). In Kilkenny, some 900 of those signing on the Live Register (September 2014) cited construction,

woodwork and metal and related industries as being their last occupation held.

retailThere were 760 wholesale and retail businesses in County Kilkenny in 2012, employing over one in five

(or 22.9%) of the total number employed by businesses in the county, making it the most important

sector in terms of employment. A large proportion of these businesses are independent traders, specialist

boutiques and fashion stores located in the retail centre of Kilkenny City. While the number of retail

businesses fell by just 5% during the period 2006 to 2012, the numbers employed in these businesses

declined by over three times that rate (at 17%).

11 Title give to the economic boom years from 2003 – 2007.


Kilkenny's medieval network of streets and lanes offer an attractive mix of traditional shops selling a range

of indigenous products. The range of shopping is well in excess of most other towns of a similar size and

population. It is noted that the Regional Enterprise Strategy to be developed as part of the South East

Region Action Plan for Jobs 2015-17, is to include measures specifically targeted at supporting the retail

sector in the region.

tourism, arts and LeisureTourism is currently a major revenue generator for County Kilkenny, estimated at approximately €60

million. Kilkenny City is a thriving tourist base, accommodating over 200,000 domestic and 204,000

overseas tourists in 2013. Kilkenny was Ireland’s second most popular domestic short break destination

and the city supported a significant number of festivals and events.

Kilkenny is marketed as a heritage destination and has a large number of visitor attractions associated

with heritage. There is potential to build on the contribution of heritage to the economic development

of Kilkenny. Kilkenny is the location of choice for the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland, the Heritage

Council and the Patents Office.

Natural heritage is a further significant asset for the county and offers a variety of services for free,

which bring many benefits to society and the economy. A high quality, natural environment supports the

economy by attracting employers, visitors and inward investment.

The value gained from biodiversity is reliant on its ongoing sustainable protection and management.

Green infrastructure is an integral part of sustainable development, alongside other infrastructure such as

utilities and transport networks. Green infrastructure is an asset that can have a particularly high tourism

amenity value.

There are almost 350 food and accommodation businesses in County Kilkenny, accounting for

approximately one in six (or 16.7%) of the total number employed by all businesses. There are a number

of well-established festivals which enhance the tourism offering, including the Sky Cat Laughs Comedy

Festival; Kilkenomics festival, which brings together some of the world’s leading economists and financial

commentators with comedians; Kilkenny Arts Festival, which features the best of visual art, street

performance and classical music; and the Savour Kilkenny food festival which showcases the produce

of local food producers. Newer festivals on the calendar such as Subtitle Film Festival further enhance

Kilkenny’s reputation as a leading event location. There is a potential to gain further leverage from the

creative arts in County Kilkenny. The county has a tradition in the creative arts, cinema, media and

design. This is supported by the proposed development of a creative quarter at the former Smithwick’s

Brewery site in the centre of Kilkenny City.

Financial Services, information technology, research & developmentWhile the number of businesses in this sector is relatively small (numbering just 36), they account for

approximately 8% of the total numbers employed in all businesses and include high-profile employers

such as State Street International, the world's leading provider of funds administration to institutional


investors; VHI Healthcare; Bank of Ireland Credit Card Services and Taxback. These businesses are all

located in Kilkenny City and enhance the city’s growing reputation as a leading services centre. This is

further exemplified by the number of state and semi-state agencies located in the city, which include

the Chemical Policy & Services Head Office of the Health & Safety Authority (HSA) and the regional

headquarters of the Health Service Executive (HSE); the national headquarters of Irish Patents Office; the

Design and Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCOI) and The Heritage Council. Irish Water will shortly establish

a regional office in the city.

The former Smithwick’s Brewery site development (approximately 16 acres in the heart of the city) will

include the provision of a new third level Research and Enterprise Campus, and offices for corporate,

creative and technology companies. It is intended that the TSSG/ ArcLabs facility, a joint venture between

Kilkenny County Council and the Institutes of Technology in Waterford (WIT) and Carlow (IT Carlow), will

be located in the new third level campus facility.

n Mining and Quarrying 1%

n Real Estate Activities 1%

n Information and Communication Technologies 1%

n Wholesale and Retail 23%

n Accommodation and Food 17%

n Manufacturing 22%

n Information and Communications 1%

n Administrative Services Activities 5%

n Professional and Technical Activities 6%

n Transportation and Storage 5%

n Financial and Insurance Activities 8%

n Construction 10%

Figure 8: Sectoral Employment in kilkenny


4. SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY PROFILEdEPrivationKilkenny, as a county, enjoys a status of relative affluence. In order to understand the deprivation issues

experienced by particular groups and particular geographic areas it is important to highlight affluence

versus deprivation. The concept of relative deprivation takes account of access to resources other than

income. A deprivation index of items and activities that are generally taken to be the norm in a particular

society is compiled; people who are denied, through lack of income, items or activities on this list are

regarded as experiencing relative deprivation.

The term ‘consistent poverty’ describes someone whose income is below the relative/ ‘at risk of poverty’

threshold and who cannot afford at least two of the eleven deprivation indicators. The relative or ‘at risk

of poverty’ threshold represents an income of less than 60% of the national median (middle) annual

income. In 2013 the national median income was €17,374 making the risk of poverty threshold €10,425

(a decrease of over 16% since 2008).

Table 12 : Consistent Poverty Deprivation Indicators

1 Two pairs of shoes 7 Keep the home adequately warm

2 A warm waterproof overcoat 8 Buy presents for family or friends at least once a year

3 Buy new, not second-hand clothes 9 Replace any worn out furniture

4 Eat meals with meat, chicken, fish (or vegetarian equivalent) every second day

10 Have family or friends for a drink or meal once a month

5 Have a roast joint or its equivalent once a week

11 Have a morning, afternoon or evening out in the last fortnight, for entertainment

6 Had to go without heating during the last year through lack of money

The Absolute HP Index Scores show the level of overall affluence and deprivation in 2006 and 2011,

using identical measurement scales.

In simple terms, the Pobal HP Deprivation Index Haase and Pratschke (2012), is a method of measuring

the relative affluence or disadvantage of a particular geographical area using data compiled from various

censuses. A scoring is given to the area based on a national average of zero and ranging from approximately

-35 (being the most disadvantaged) to +35 (being the most affluent). In addition to this, percentage data

for the area is given under the following categories:

l Population Change;


l Age Dependency Ratio;

l Lone Parent Ratio;

l Primary Education Only;

l Third Level Education;

l Unemployment Rate (male and female);

l Proportion Living in Local Authority Rented Housing.

Local Authority Area

AbsoluteHP Index Score2006

AbsoluteHP Index Score2011

Change inAbsoluteHP Index Score2006 - 2011

RelativeHP Index Score2006

RelativeIndex Score2011

Change inRelativeHP Index Score2006 - 2011

Kilkenny -0.48 -7.99 -7.50 -0.48 -1.01 -0.52

table 13: absolute and relative hP index Scores ( www.pobal.ie)

The Relative HP Index Scores focus particularly on the previous two censuses, enabling easy comparison

of data between 2006 and 2011. This index is of particular significance given the economic changes that

have occurred nationally during this period.

The Pobal Maps online tool provides a visual representation of the data which is crucial in terms of

highlighting pockets of relative disadvantage, especially to small area level, and is a valuable resource in

targeting and tackling disadvantage. This level of detail can be viewed at http://maps.pobal.ie or from the

Community & Culture section of Kilkenny County Council.


Table 14 highlights the electoral areas within County Kilkenny which have the highest deprivation ratings

taken from the Pobal HP Deprivation Index 2011.

Table 14: Deprivation in order of worst off in County Kilkenny (2011)1 Urlingford -12.1%2 Ferrybank -11.2%3 Freshford -9.6%4 Graiguenamanagh -9.4%5 Clogh -9%6 Castlecomer -7.69%7 Callan Urban -7.16%8 Kilkenny Urban 1 -4.73 9 Kilkenny Urban 2 -0.9%

deprivation, poverty and social exclusion: Poverty has a negative effect on people’s quality of life, on the opportunities open to them, and on their

ability to participate fully in society. It can be difficult to break out of the cycle of poverty, as poor children

are more likely to become poor adults. Poverty impacts on every aspect of a person’s life:

- Money and debt: many people who work in low-paid or insecure employment earn a wage that is not

adequate to cover the basic costs of living for themselves and their families. Others are dependent on

social welfare payments, whether because they are elderly, unemployed, carers, a lone parent, or have

a disability or long-term illness.

- Education: growing up in poverty can affect people’s future. Children who grow up in poor families are

more likely to leave school early and without qualifications, and to end up unemployed or in low-paid

jobs, which means that they are more likely to be poor as adults.

- Health & Wellbeing: people who live in poverty are at greater risk of poor mental and physical health;

they get sick more often and die younger than people who are better-off. Factors such as an inadequate

diet, a higher rate of chronic illness, a lower level of participation in sport and leisure activities12, and

a generally lower quality of life all contribute to lower levels of health and wellbeing among people who

experience poverty.

- Housing: people in poverty are more likely to be dependent on the State to meet their housing needs,

through subsidised privately rented accommodation or social housing. They are also at greater risk of

living in sub-standard accommodation and of becoming homeless.

Children and families living in disadvantaged areas are not individually statistically represented in CSO,

AIRO13 or other national profiles. Overall, targeted work in Kilkenny has been prioritised by taking

account of the Pobal HP Deprivation Index. It is expected that a County Profile will be developed by the

Children and Young People’s Services Committee (CYPSC) in the near future, and will contribute to the

implementation of this plan.

12 http://www.combatpoverty.ie/povertyinireland/whatispoverty.htm

13 AIRO = All-Island Research Observatory.


unEMPLoyMEnt

national unemployment rates The unemployment rate for men in Ireland was an average of 5% from 2006 to 2008 but in 2009 it

increased dramatically to 15.3%, followed by further rises over the next three years, reaching a peak

of 23.2% in 2011. There was a drop in the male unemployment rate in 2013 to 15.9% and another

decrease in 2014 to 13.8%.

The national female unemployment rate, which averaged 4% from 2006 to 2008, also increased strongly,

to 8.3% in 2009, and continued to rise over the next four years, reaching 11.4% in 2013. However the

female rate of unemployment decreased in 2014, to 9.9%.

The younger age groups have been most affected by unemployment, with approximately three out of ten

men and two out of ten women aged 20-24 unemployed in 2013.

CSo Press release Women and Men in ireland 2013 http://www.cso.ie/en/newsandevents/pressreleases

Figure 8: CSo Press release 2013

Females and Male unemployment rate from 1991 to 2011

25

20

15

10

5

0

Female Unemployment % Male Unemployment %

1991 1996 2002 2006 2011

Females and Male unemployment rate from 1991 to 2011

25

20

15

10

5

0 1991 1996 2002 2006 2011

Female Unemployment % Male Unemployment %


unemployment in County kilkenny The unemployment rate for County Kilkenny in 2011 was 19.4%, which was higher than the national

average rate of 18.1%. The unemployment rate for the county has been running at over 1 percentage

point above the national rate over the course of the last 10 years.

Unemployment rates in individual Electoral Divisions (EDs) in the county reached levels well above

those prevailing county-wide, and were highest in Urlingford (38.5% male, 26.3% female), followed by

Graiguenamanagh (36% male, 18.8% female), Johnstown (29.6% male, 23.3% female), Clogh (31.7%

male, 20.5% female) and Moneenroe (32.4% male, 19.6% female), all of which relate to small town areas.

The relatively high unemployment rate highlights the severe adverse impact that the economic recession

has had on the county. The unemployment rate has reduced significantly since 2011 in line with the

downward trend in the Live Register numbers in County Kilkenny over the last four years. The Live

Register in County Kilkenny peaked at around 8,000 in 2011, and has fallen by almost 40% since then,

to approximately 5,500 at the end of December 2015.

kilkenny unemployment rates (Male and Female)Male unemployment in Kilkenny experienced a threefold increase, reaching 23.2% in 2011. This

compared to the national male unemployment rate in 2011 of 22.3% and a two-and-a-half fold increase

since 2006. Female unemployment in Kilkenny experienced a twofold increase, reaching 14.7% in

2011, compared to 15% nationally (www.pobal.ie).


MaleUnemployed1991 -%

MaleUnemployed1996- %

MaleUnemployed2002- %

MaleUnemployed2006 -%

Male

Unemployed

2011-%

% Change Male 2006 - 2011

Kilkenny 16.3 14.5 8.2 8.0 23.2 190.7

table 14: Male unemployment rate (www.pobal.ie)

When looking at the female unemployment rate, the patterns appear to follow Ireland’s economic boom

and recession. However, the percentage of unemployed females remains at a much lower baseline rate

with 14.75% being the highest rate of female unemployment in Kilkenny. This points to the dominance

of men in the construction industry and explains why the percentage of male unemployment grew

exponentially during the last decade.


FemaleUnemployed1991 %





% Change Female2006 - 2011

Kilkenny 12.2 10.9 6.8 6.8 14.7 114.5

table 15: Female unemployment rate (www.pobal.ie)


Figure 9: unemployment rate Female 2011



Unemployment Rate Female 2011

Clogh

Castlecomer

Moneenroe

Mothell

Mone

enro

e

Clogharinka

Attanagh

Ballyragget

Kilmacar

Muckalee

Ballyconra

Lisdowney

Rathbeag

Coolcraheen

Kilkieran

Rathcoole

Tiscoffin

Shankill

Paulstown

GoresbridgeGowran

Odagh

Ballinamara

Ballycallan

Kilmanagh

Balleen

Freshford

Tullaroan

Rathealy

Ballybeagh

Turbridbrittain

Clonmantagh

Glashare

Glamoy

Urlingford

Baunmore Johnstown

Dunmore

Kilkenny No. 2Urban

Clara

Dunbell


Powerstown

UllardTullaherin


Thomastown



CoolhillInistioge

Bally

vool

Albe

rsts

own


St. C

anice

Kilkenny Rural


Scotsborough


Earlstown

BurnchurchDanesfort

Ennisnag

Kells

Coolaghmore

Malla

rdst

own

Dunnamaggan

Stonyford

Kilkenny No. 1Urban

Kilmaganny


Killamery

Boolyglass

Aghaviller

Shanbogh

RosberconRural

Dysa

rtmoo

n

Brownsford


Killahy

Muckalee

TempleorumPilltown

Whi

tech

urch

Tullahought

Ullid

Tubrid

Fiddown

FarnogeKilbride

Kilbeacon

DunkittRathpatrick


Kilmakevoge

AglishPortnascully

Pollrone

Kilculliheen

KilkennyCity

Callan

New Ross

Castlecomer

Ferrybank

ThomastownGraiguenamanagh

5% - <10%

<5%

10% - <15%

15% - <20%

20% - <30%

Female UnemploymentRate 2011

>30%


Figure 10: unemployment rate Male 2011



Unemployment Rate Male 2011

Clogh

Castlecomer

Moneenroe

Mothell

Mone

enro

e

Clogharinka

Attanagh

Ballyragget

Kilmacar

Muckalee

Ballyconra

Lisdowney

Rathbeag

Coolcraheen

Kilkieran

Rathcoole

Tiscoffin

Shankill

Paulstown

GoresbridgeGowran

Odagh

Ballinamara

Ballycallan

Kilmanagh

Balleen

Freshford

Tullaroan

Rathealy

Ballybeagh

Turbridbrittain

Clonmantagh

Glashare

Glamoy

Urlingford

Baunmore Johnstown

Dunmore

Kilkenny No. 2Urban

Clara

Dunbell


Powerstown

UllardTullaherin


Thomastown



CoolhillInistioge

Bally

vool

Albe

rsts

own


St. C

anice

Kilkenny Rural


Scotsborough


Earlstown

BurnchurchDanesfort

Ennisnag

Kells

Coolaghmore

Malla

rdst

own

Dunnamaggan

Stonyford

Kilkenny No. 1Urban

Kilmaganny


Killamery

Boolyglass

Aghaviller

Shanbogh

RosberconRural

Dysa

rtmoo

n

Brownsford


Killahy

Muckalee

TempleorumPilltown

Whi

tech

urch

Tullahought

Ullid

Tubrid

Fiddown

FarnogeKilbride

Kilbeacon

DunkittRathpatrick


Kilmakevoge

AglishPortnascully

Pollrone

Kilculliheen

KilkennyCity

Callan

New Ross

Castlecomer

Ferrybank

ThomastownGraiguenamanagh

5% - <10%

<5%

10% - <15%

15% - <20%

20% - <30%

Male UnemploymentRate 2011

>30%

the Live register The Live register is compiled from returns made directly to the Central Statistics Office by each of the local

offices of the Department of Social Protection. It is not designed specifically to measure unemployment.

However, it provides a valuable short-term and up-to-date indicator of unemployment and under-

employment. Included on the Live Register are the following:


l All those on Jobseeker’s Benefit (JB) – excluding systematic short-time workers;

l All those on Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) – excluding smallholders / farm assists and self-employed persons;

l Part-time workers (those who work up to 3 days per week) seasonal and casual workers entitled to

Jobseeker’s Allowance or Jobseeker’s Benefit;

l Those signing on for PRSI credits but receiving no payment.

In August 2010, there were approximately 5,216 men and 2,702 women on the County Kilkenny Live

Register, a total of 7,918 people. As of December 2015 there were a total of 5,542 people on the Live

Register.

Table 16: Live Register Figures December 2015

Kilkenny City Social Welfare Office 4,521

Thomastown Social Welfare Office 1,021

Total 5,542 table 17: young People under 25 unemployed living in disadvantaged areas

Kilkenny County (under 25 unemployed) as of Jan 2012 - AIRO

Total Total all live registers KK

Under 25 as a % of total unemployed

KK City – under 25 unemployedUrban 1Urban 2Rural KK

25616393287

1,68510076782533

15.2 %16.2%14%11%

Callan UrbanRural

694425

465298167

14.8%15%14.9%

Thomastown 41 363 11.3%

Ferrybank environs: i.e. Kilculiheen DED 84 814 10.3%

Urlingford 34 191 17.8%

Castlecomer/Donaguile 60 368 16.3%

Clogh 33 193 17%

Moneenroe 34 195 17.4%

Ballyragget 27 191 14.1%

Piltown 41 291 14.0%

Graiguenamanagh 30 275 10.9%

Created by CkLP, using Pobal hP deprivation index and Pobal Maps with overall data


Education & disadvantageIn County Kilkenny there have been decreases in the numbers of students leaving school with just a

primary level education. This decrease is due to a number of factors, some of which are driven at national

policy level, for example, where the age for leaving school increased to 16, and other local initiatives in

Kilkenny, through programmes such as the School Liaison, Youthreach, NALA, and the ETBs.

Local Authority Area Low Education1991 %

Low Education1996 %

Low Education2002 %

Low Education2006 %

Low Education2011 %

% Change 2006-2011

Kilkenny 35.7 28.7 22.0 18.4 15.1 -17.9

National 15 years and over 36.7 29.5 22.2 18.9 16.0 -15.6

table 18: Proportion of Population with Primary Level Education only (www.pobal.ie)

There have been determined efforts made in retaining pupils up to and past secondary education.

However, despite the improvement at county level, there remain several rural Electoral Divisions (EDs)

where considerable parts of the adult population have primary level education only. Examples include

Freshford (26.8%), Goresbridge (25.6%), and Graiguenamanagh (25.2%)14.

In addition, minority groups such as Travellers continue to struggle with retention throughout primary

level education. In Kilkenny City, the Kilkenny Traveller Community Movement (KTCM) have identified

areas such as St. Mary’s and St. Catherine’s halting sites that need extra school support. “Education was

identified as the main area of concern for Travellers living throughout Kilkenny. Concerns ranged from;

there being no pre-school in Rosbercon and a poor relationship with secondary school teachers, to many

Travellers still leaving school without being able to read and write, and there not being enough support for

homework at school.” (KTCM, 2013:25)

At a social class level Kilkenny county reflects the educational attainment profile of each area, with

Bramblestown having the highest composition (56% professionals, 8% semi- and unskilled manual

classes), and Callan Urban (22% professionals, 26.1% manual classes) and Urlingford (17.7%

professionals, 24.5% manual classes) having the lowest.15

Lone Parents According to National Economic and Social Forum (2001:17) and the Combat Poverty Agency (2010)

‘lone parents’ are defined as those who are parents, who have characteristics such as: being most likely

to be women; sole carers of their children and recognised by their marital status such as separated,

widowed, divorced or never married. There were 215,300 families headed by lone parents with children,

87%of which were lone mothers. Two-fifths of lone parents were single and just under a quarter were

widowed. 31.8% were separated or divorced, compared with 29.8%in 2006.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) Social Inclusion Report 2013 (Chapter 3: 52) states that there is a

14 https://www.pobal.ie/Publications/Documents/Pobal%20HP%20Deprivation%20Index_Inter_temporal%20Analysis%20of%20Small%20Area%20Deprivation%20Scores%202006%20%e2%80%93%202011.ppt

15 https://www.pobal.ie/Publications/Documents/Pobal%20HP%20Deprivation%20Index_Inter_temporal%20Analysis%20of%20Small%20Area%20Deprivation%20Scores%202006%20%e2%80%93%202011.ppt


28% chance that a household that has one parent and a child aged under 18 are most likely to fall into

the category of people living in poverty. This is almost twice the rate of a two-parent family likely to live in

poverty estimated at 14.6%. Adults and children in one-parent families have the highest deprivation rate

in Ireland (56%), a very significant increase since 2009 (44%).

Local Authority Area Lone ParentRate1991 %

Lone ParentRate1996 %




% Change 2006- 2011

Kilkenny 8.3 10.4 13.0 16.9 17.8 5.5

table 19: Lone Parent rate: Percentage of single-parent households with at least one dependent child (aged under 15) as a proportion of all households with at least one dependent child (www.pobal.ie)

There are 3,782 lone parent households in Kilkenny: 84% lone mothers and 16% lone fathers. One-

parent families make up 11% of all households in Kilkenny. The steady rise in lone parents is a cause for

concern in the profile of County Kilkenny and requires prioritisation and further research as part of the

LECP implementation phase.

housing There has been a 1.9 percentage point decrease in the proportion of local authority housing in Ireland

over the past twenty years, from 9.8% in 1991 to 7.9% in 2011. The proportion in the South East region

has declined by 1.1 percentage points, from 10.2% to 9.1%. Similarly, County Kilkenny has seen a

marginal decline in the proportion of local authority housing, albeit from a lower base (7.7% to 7.1%).16

The highest concentrations of local authority housing are found in Kilkenny No. 1 Urban (17.1%) and

Kilamery (14.1%), but these are still low levels compared to those found in larger towns and cities. County

Kilkenny has a large number of schemes administered by Kilkenny County Council.

Kilkenny County Council is responsible for the management of just under 2,200 tenancies which are

located in both the city and the county (Kilkenny LA Estate Management Plan 2015-2020). The schemes

include Council Houses, Long Term Leasing, Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), Loans & Grants and

a new pilot Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).

These schemes allow those who may be otherwise

unable to live in their own homes, to afford to live

in County Kilkenny. Like all counties in Ireland,

Kilkenny County Council caps its schemes

and this is based on a means assessment of a

person’s reckonable income. Table 20 shows that

local authority housing rental rates have remained

between 6% and 8 % since 1991.

16 www.pobal.ie



LA Rented1991 %

LA Rented 1996 %

LA Rented2002 %

LA Rented2006 %

LA Rented2011 %

% Change 2006 - 2011

Kilkenny 7.7 7.0 6.5 6.0 7.1 18.5

National 9.8 8.3 7.1 7.5 7.9 6.5

table 20: Local authority housing (www.pobal.ie)

Note: This indicator is not included in the construction of the Pobal HP Deprivation Index.


PrivatelyRented1991 %





% Change inPrivatelyRented2006 - 2011

Kilkenny 5.0 6.7 8.1 10.3 14.8 43.9

table 21: Privately rented housing (www.pobal.ie)

When comparing the table of those who rent private accommodation and those who rent local authority

homes, there is a large disparity. It seems that there has been a substantial increase in people renting,

which could coincide with the downturn in the economy and the collapse of the financial sector in

Ireland. Lending for mortgages has been very low since 2008 and this can be another reason for the large

increase in privately rented accommodation in Kilkenny and Ireland.

hoMELESSnESSChanges and Issues arising over the last year:

l Increase in economic homeless presenters due to increased rents and unavailability of affordable

private rented accommodation.

l Inability to provide exit strategy from homeless services to private rented sector due to high market

rent, unavailability of privately rented accommodation, landlords refusing to accept social housing

support tenants.

l Increased pressure on emergency homeless providers due to increase in presentations, lack of exit

strategy, working at capacity.

l Increased pressure on Kilkenny County Council to provide emergency B&B when emergency homeless

providers are at capacity and presenter has no alternative housing options available.

l Increased pressure on Kilkenny County Council to meet on going demands of service users in

emergency accommodation settings and awaiting appropriate referral.

l Inability to provide emergency homeless accommodation in alternative locations (other counties) due

to pressures and capacity issues on the particular County Council and our inability to provide exit

strategy within the short term.

l Dealing with complex cases and finding appropriate referral pathways (if any) whilst dealing with the above.


Comparative figures showing increase in homeless / potential homeless presentations to housing services:

From 1 October 2013 - 4 February 2014 there were 45 homeless/ potentially homeless

presentations, with this figure almost tripling to 133 for 1 October 2014 - 4 February 2015.

In the period 1 January 2014 - 1 May 2015 there were 78 homeless/ potentially homeless presentations,

while this figure more than doubled to 167 for the period 1 January 2015 - 1 May 2015.

In 2014 Amber Kilkenny Women's Refuge accommodated 9 women and 4 children as a direct result of

homelessness. Amber accommodated a further 16 women and 14 children who were admitted under

Domestic Violence but ended up homeless due to such factors. As a service, Amber found it very hard to

source adequate, private rented or Local Authority accommodation in Kilkenny for families experiencing

homelessness. Families struggled to source a new home for themselves which added massive strains to

their already difficult situations.

“This in turn affected our service as clients are staying much longer than before. Our Policy states that

we provide short term emergency accommodation for 8 - 10 weeks but this is not the case anymore due

to the difficulties in sourcing accommodation for our clients. This also affected our referral system as we

are turning away hundreds of referrals per year due to our refuge constantly being full.” (Amber, 2015).

These concerns and pressure on housing were echoed by the Good Shepherd Centre (Homeless Hostel)

located in Kilkenny City:

l There is a crisis in the lack of supply of priority accommodation, both in the Private Rented Sector,

Social Housing Sector and the Local Authority.

l Lack of appropriate responses to complex cases. Clients who have a dual diagnosis (substance misuse

& mental health) or clients who have personality or behavioural disorders.

l Rates of social welfare for those under the age of 24 are a contributing factor to clients’ financial ability

to enter into tenancies.

l Reluctance on behalf of some landlords to engage with Housing Support services, e.g. HAP, RAS.

l Severe cuts in homeless budgets in the past few years — no cuts in 2014 and as of yet, no cut in

2015 — but no increase in budgets.

l Emergency services are at full capacity, with few options for clients to move on or exit strategies being

available.

l Need for re-establishment of a county homeless structure.


hEaLth & WELLBEing

general healthAccording to Census 2011, 85,069 persons stated they were in ‘good’ or ‘very good’ health, representing

89.2% of the total population. This compares to 88.3% of total persons nationally. 1,324 persons stated

they were in ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’ health, representing 1.4% of the population in this area. Again this

compares with 1.5% of total persons nationally.

Health and wellbeing are not evenly distributed across Irish society. In order to aspire to positive health

outcomes for all there is a growing need for interventions to target particular health risks but also a focus

on addressing the wider social determinants of health – the circumstances in which people are born, grow,

live, work and age – to create economic, social, cultural and physical environments that foster healthy living.

Deprivation is frequently associated with poor health and health inequalities, that is, unequal

access and outcomes for those of lower socio-economic status. 85,069 persons stated they

were in ‘good’ or ‘very good’ health, representing 89.2% of total persons. This compares to

88.3% nationally. 1,324 persons stated they were in ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’ health, representing

1.4% of total persons in this area. This compares with 1.5% of total persons nationally.

A specific workshop was held to examine health and wellbeing priorities and the following were identified:

l Homelessness must be a priority for all services;

l Greater supports and services provided for people with a disability;

l Delivery of the County Kilkenny Action Plan for Suicide Prevention;

l Prioritisation of drug-prevention initiatives among young people;

l Prioritisation of Travellers and ethnic minorities, by all health services;

l Increase whole-population approaches to health improvement.

People with a disabilityThere were a total of 595,335 people with a disability in April 2011, accounting for 13% of the population,

up from 393,785 in 2006 when it accounted for 9.3% of the population. The largest increases in

percentage terms were seen in children aged under 5, where the numbers increased by 90%, from

5,298 to 10,084. The widespread incidence of childhood asthma and the specific reference to ‘breathing’

difficulties in the Other category may partly explain this. The rates of disability increased within this age

group, the exception being people in their twenties, who had lower disability rates than teenagers.

While overall the rates for men and women were similar, at 12.7% and 13.2% respectively, there were

variations by age group with male excesses in the 0-29 age groups and female excesses from age 70

onwards (This is Ireland – Highlights from Census 2011:p43)


According to the Census 2011, Kilkenny had 11,939 persons (13% of the total population) with a disability,

of whom 4,309 (36.1%) were aged 65 years and over.

4,055 persons (1,536 males and 2,519 females) provided regular unpaid personal help for a friend or

family member with a long-term illness, health problem or disability. 21.7% of these provided care for

more than six hours per day (www.cso.ie).

Age Nos % l 33% of people with a disability of working age are employed compared to 63% of those without a disability.

l 18% of people with a disability did not progress past primary education compared to 3% of those without a disability.

l 22% of people with a disability left school at lower secondary level compared to 16% of those without a disability.

0 – 14 1,103 9.2

15 - 24 832 6.9

25 - 44 2,209 18.5

45 - 64 3,486 29.1

65 + 4,309 36.1

Total 11,939 100

table 22: disability Federation of ireland (dFi) data for kilkenny 2015

EthniC MinoritiES & travELLErS County Kilkenny Ireland

Country of Birth Population% of Immigrant Population

Country of Birth Population% of Immigrant Population

England and Wales 4,689 39.3 England and Wales 212,286 27.7

Poland 2,033 17.0 Poland 115,193 15.0Northern Ireland 462 3.9 Northern Ireland 58,470 7.6Lithuania 396 3.3 Lithuania 34,847 4.5United States 375 3.1 United States 27,726 3.6Latvia 275 2.3 Latvia 19,989 2.6Romania 238 2.0 Nigeria 19,780 2.6Nigeria 162 1.4 Romania 17,995 2.3Scotland 197 1.7 Scotland 17,871 2.3India 181 1.5 India 17,856 2.3

table 23: Ethnic Minorities (CSo Census 2011)

Table 24: Size of Ethnic Minority Population in Kilkenny 201117

Nationality Birthplace Ethnicity

Non-Irish nationals

Born outside Ireland

Born outside Ireland & UK

Ethnic groups with roots in other countries

Ethnic Traveller Community

8.9% 12.6% 6.9% 9.4% 0.5%

8,367 11,929 6,581 8,829 483table 24: Size of Ethnic Minority Population in kilkenny

17 According to Census 2011, the total population of Kilkenny is 94,584. However, there may be a slight variation if the percentages stated in this table are applied to that total due to the fact that

a small number of people did not state their birthplace or ethnicity on the census form; therefore actual numbers of those who did give this information are also given above in Table 24.


The statistics in Tables 23 and 24 can be summarised as follows:

l 8.9% were non-Irish nationals,

l 12.6% were foreign-born (6.9% were born outside UK and Ireland),

l 9.4% belong to ethnic groups with roots in other countries,

l while a further 0.5% belong to the Irish Traveller Community.

travellersA study carried out by the Kilkenny Traveller Community Movement (KTCM) highlights key data and

concerns of the Traveller Community in Kilkenny:

Table 25: Traveller Population around County Kilkenny (according to Census 2011)

Electoral Areas Census 2006 Census 2011

Kilkenny City (urban areas & rural environs) 156 263

Piltown 111 84

Ballyraggett 31 40

Thomastown 45 86

Callan (urban areas & rural environs) 18 10

Totals 361 483

l There are 483 members of the Traveller Community in County Kilkenny (0.5% of the population of

Kilkenny) according to Census 2011.

l However, there are 177 families according to the Traveller Count for Kilkenny 2012, which suggests a

slightly higher number than the census figures suggest.

l The Traveller Community’s share in Kilkenny City’s population, at 1.1% is almost twice as much as

their share in the county’s overall population.


5. SWOT ANALYSIS

Strengths and Opportunities Weaknesses and Threats

• The central location of Kilkenny City in the centre of the county with excellent connectivity to Dublin.

• Kilkenny’s strong brand.

• The settlement pattern of County Kilkenny with 1 large urban centre, 4 smaller towns and 17 dispersed villages.

• Kilkenny has a strong history of partnership work and the development of integrated delivery mechanisms.

• Programme of national and international festivals.

• The former Smithwick’s Brewery site development has the potential to be a hub for creative and technology-related industries and 3rd level research campus.

• Kilkenny as the medieval capital of Ireland is well placed to be a strong tourism destination within the new Ireland’s Ancient East tourism brand strategy.

• Very strong community networks (e.g. Tidy Towns.)

• Strong voluntary sector with strong community activity in rural villages.

• Established cluster of business service companies.

• Developing digital media industry – Cartoon Saloon, Mycrofilms, Young Irish Filmmakers, JamJou.

• Good education levels and the presence of TSSG Research &Innovation Centre, Maynooth University - Kilkenny Campus, proximity to WIT and IT Carlow.

• Potential for the formation of a South East Technological University with a campus in Kilkenny.

• Variety of amenities across the county, such as Woodstock, Jenkinstown, Castlecomer Discovery Park , Dunmore Caves and excellent sporting and play facilities.

• Strong heritage credentials and a strong county association with the creative arts.

• Excellent quality of life.

• High level of unemployment especially among the youth.

• High dependency rate and hidden pockets of poverty and disadvantage throughout the county.

• Decrease in funding for community and creative arts programmes.

• Emigration of youth population.

• Lack of a sustainable model for festival funding.

• Over-reliance on construction sector and Greater Dublin Area for employment.

• Closure of many SMEs since 2008.

• Increasing competition within the region, nationally and internationally for FDI projects.

• Manufacturing sector under threat.

• Resource funding constraints for micro-enterprises.

• Lack of skills in some sectors.

• Small critical mass of skilled ICT/ Pharmaceutical graduates.

• Limited public transport options.

• Limited/ no broadband in many areas. Unreliable access outside urban centres.

• Overburdening waste water treatment plants.

• Seasonality characteristic of tourism.

• Relatively small population centre vis a vis larger urban locations; limits ability to attract FDI of scale.

• Motorway infrastructure has bypassed many rural towns.

• Loss of economic functionality of rural towns, general rural decline and rural isolation.

• Maintaining green credentials at an acceptable cost given pressure on output.



PART 2: THE STRATEGY


6. HIGH-LEVEL GOALS: THEMES AND PRIORITIESBackgroundThis Plan has been developed in consultation with all key stakeholders concerned with Kilkenny’s community,

social and economic development and through widespread consultation with the public and takes account

of the County’s strengths and opportunities, as well as the constraints and threats. In addition, this Plan has

been prepared taking cognisance of other European and national strategies, in particular:

Europe 2020 Strategy: a strategy launched in 2010 for sustainable growth across Europe

and its member states. This strategy identified three priorities, five specific headline

objectives in support of the priorities and actions at national, EU and international level.

The three priorities are:

l Smart Growth: developing an economy based on knowledge and innovation;

l Sustainable Growth: promoting a more resource-efficient, greener and more competitive economy;

l Inclusive Growth: fostering a high-employment economy delivering social and territorial cohesion.

Ireland’s National Reform Programme: The Irish government submitted Ireland’s first National Reform

Programme under the Europe 2020 Strategy in 2011, amid significant financial and economic crisis. This

national programme in line with the key objectives of Europe 2020 identified a co-ordinated approach

across five key themes, with each of these having specific national targets:

l Employment

l Research & Development/ Innovation

l Climate Change/ Energy

l Education

l Poverty/ Social Exclusion

high-Level goalsThe emerging themes and goals of the Kilkenny LECP process align with national and European objectives

and themes. In total, 13 high-level goals have been identified for County Kilkenny, each with specific

sustainable objectives and a range of related actions. The following sections highlight the high-level goals

of the Kilkenny LECP and related actions.


high-Level Economic goals and objectives18

The overarching theme of the economic dimension of the Action Plan is job creation and to Foster a High

Employment Economy. This is supported by nine high-level goals. The high-level goals were developed

from the outcomes of the community and key stakeholders’ consultations, the strategic policy review, and

an analysis of the evidence to be found in the demographic and socio-economic profile of the county. The

high-level goals are designed to be consistent with the appropriate statements of the Regional Assembly

as defined in the Regional Planning Guidelines.

The nine high-level goals are built upon a suite of high-level objectives that underpin the Action Plan. Of

these, some contain cross-linked dimensions of SEDOs (Sustainable Economic Development Objectives)

and SCOs (Sustainable Community Objectives). Each objective within the economic element will

be achieved through the implementation of specific, time-bound and measurable actions. There are

63 economic actions, which in some cases contain sub-elements. In all cases, responsibility for the

individual action will be linked to a lead organisation (when the annual action plans are prepared each

year) and where appropriate, partner bodies. From the analysis of the evidence-base, a Socio-Economic

Statement, with high-level goals and targets for the Kilkenny LECP, was prepared. A number of tools were

used to synthesis and analyse the outputs from the socio-economic evidence base and the various levels

of consultation. The high-level goals were refined during the Plan’s development process to represent the

anticipated outcomes to be achieved in the LECP.

The nine high-level goals comprising the economic dimension of the LECP are as follows.

l Goal 1: Support the Enterprise Economy

High-Level Objective: strengthen the local enterprise base, and thereby encourage job creation and

multi-sectoral employment potential.

l Goal 2: Facilitate Innovation and Entrepreneurship

High-Level Objective: provide an integrated support structure for enhanced levels of enterprise start-up

and growth.

l Goal 3: Enhance Visitor Experiences

High-Level Objective: support, co-ordinate and optimise the visitor experience potential across the

county.

l Goal 4: Provide for enhanced levels of Educational Attainment and Skills Development

High-Level Objective: encourage and support up-skilling, job mobility and enterprise creation in key

economic growth sectors.

l Goal 5: Develop the Rural Economy

High-Level Objective: increase the levels of rural economic activity and build sustainability into the

rural economy.

18 Implementation of the High-Level Goals and Objectives shall conform to the provisions of the Kilkenny County and City Development Plans and Local Area Plans as appropriate. The

preparation of any lower tier plans or strategies would need to be subject to SEA and AA processes as appropriate.

l Goal 6: Improve Access and Communications Infrastructures

High-Level Objectives: encourage integrated transport systems through the use of existing and new

infrastructure innovations, and increase the use of communications technologies through enhanced

infrastructure and skilled communities.

l Goal 7: Foster Leadership and Increase Local Capacity

High-Level Objective: develop leadership capacity in promoting economic and integrated development.

l Goal 8: Protect and Utilise the Natural, Cultural and Built Environment

High-Level Objectives: encourage and support biodiversity and the protection and enhancement of

local heritage and culture, support energy efficiency and maximise the circular economy potential.

l Goal 9: Contribute to Regional Growth and International Potential

High-Level Objective: contribute to the growth of the region and expand the international reach of the

local economy.

high-Level Community goals and objectives The remaining four high-level goals relate to the Community element of the Plan. These goals have been

developed after analysis of key data and statistics across the county, an analysis with regard to strengths,

opportunities and threats as well as from public consultations, focus groups and bilateral meetings held

with stakeholders. All high-level goals link back to the EU 2020 targets outlined above.

l Goal 10: Address Area-based Poverty & Disadvantage:

High-Level Objectives:

10.1 Improve the deprivation indicators for those Electoral Division areas designated ‘disadvantaged’

or ‘very disadvantaged’.

10.2 Improve the deprivation indicators for those small areas designated ‘disadvantaged’ or ‘very

disadvantaged’.

10.3 Poverty: education – Increase the level of educational attainment for those living in disadvantaged

areas.

10.4 Poverty: unemployment – Reduce the level of unemployment in disadvantaged areas.

10.5 Poverty: youth unemployment – Reduce the level of youth unemployment in disadvantaged

l Goal 11: Address Poverty and Social Exclusion (targeted approaches)


11.1 Ensure the inclusion and active engagement of all citizens in the social and economic

development of County Kilkenny.

11.2 In particular focus attention on Lone Parents, Travellers, Ethnic Minorities, Older people, People

with a Disability and Children & Young People. Ensure such groupings are prioritised in relation

to poverty goals.


l Goal 12: Enhance Community Facilities and Participation 19


12.1 To ensure all citizens of Kilkenny (rural and urban based) have access to appropriate community

facilities.

12.2 To ensure all facilities are utilised to their optimum capacity, and are open and available to all

citizens.

12.3 To ensure community development coordination at Municipal District level to support

communities at local level.

12.4 To increase community participation and civic engagement at both Municipal/ Electoral Division

and at county level

l Goal 13: Improve Health & Wellbeing


13.1 Ensure that the health and wellbeing of all Kilkenny’s citizens is maximised

13.2 In particular, focus attention on the following areas: People with a Disability, Substance Misuse,

Mental Health & Suicide, Travellers, Ethnic Minorities, Homelessness and LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay,

Bisexual Transgender and Intersexual).


19 Facilities, Infrastructure, Area Co-ordination, Community Development Activities, Programmes and Participation.

Figure 11: Kilkenny LECP Framework


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kilkenny LECP FrameworkThe Framework on the previous page (Figure 11) has been developed from an analysis of the Baseline

Economic Profile, together with a review of the evidence gathered from the strategic policy statements of

key agencies and organisations active in the county.

The Framework also facilitates a more integrated approach to the preparation and delivery of publicly

funded programmes, including the Local Development Strategy for the LEADER Rural Development

Programme and the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme.

The purpose of the Community element of the LECP is to promote local and community development

within County Kilkenny and ensure the co-ordination of relevant publicly-funded local and community

development actions in a way that reduces duplication, targets available resources where they are most

needed and maximises benefits for communities.

The Guidelines on Local Economic and Community Plans (LECPs) identify economic and community

action areas to be considered when developing the plan and are as follows:

1. Formulating the economic development plan and advising on the economic components of the

community elements of the Plan,

2. Promoting economic development through general local authority powers and functions,

3. Operation of the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs),

4. Economic components of the community/local development role,

5. Action Plan for Jobs and Labour Market Activation, and

6. Specific action to promote increased economic activity in line with regional priorities (e.g. South East

Action Plan for Jobs 2015-2017),

7. Develop and implement Sustainable Community Objectives, which can include:

8. Improved quality and increased frequency of community-based services which promote social

inclusion and tackle poverty and disadvantage,

9. Physical, social, economic and environmental regeneration of deprived urban or rural communities,

10. Enhanced training and education infrastructure,

11. The creation of new jobs, especially in the low carbon and green economy,

12. Increased access to, and use of high-quality information and communications technology.

The economic and community goals and associated actions are presented in slightly different formats in

this plan due mainly to the differing developmental processes involved in the respective actions.


7. LECP ACTION SUMMARY kilkenny LECP action Plan 2016-2021

The Kilkenny LECP Action Plan 2016-2021 identifies the specific actions required to deliver on

the high-level goals and objectives. The Action Plan flows from the high-level goals outlined in the

preceding section and has been developed using a comprehensive process engaging with key

stakeholders, including agencies and the local community. The actions promote and support the

economic development and the local and community development of County Kilkenny.

The Action Plan has been proofed for consistency with the Kilkenny County Development Plan 2014-

2020, and takes account of the SEA Directive and Article 6 of the Habitats Directive to ensure compliance.

Implementation of the LECP is required to conform to the following:

l The Regional Planning Guidelines and the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (whenever that is

in place); and

l The provisions of the Kilkenny County and City Development Plans and Local Area Plans, including

those provisions requiring sustainable development and Rural and Urban Business Development

Zones.

Background Profile

Regional Planning Guidelines (RPGs) for the South-East Region 2010-2022 note that the regional strengths

include its successful industrial base (particularly in areas such as ICT, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology

and chemicals); its high level of disposable incomes and GVA per head compared with many other

European regions; the highly-skilled and educated workforce, and relatively low rates of unemployment.

However, while the South-East Region is a dynamic region offering an attractive quality of life, the RPGs

identified five areas where targeted investment would support and attract new economic development in

the region. These are:

1. Develop The Smart Economy, including: the development of a University of the South-East; the

development of Strategic Employment Locations at the Gateway, Hubs and County Towns with first-

class infrastructure capable of facilitating new indigenous start-ups in advanced sectors and attracting

Foreign Direct Investment against competing locations nationally and internationall

2. Improve Transport Infrastructure and Services, including development of public transport services

along the main transportation corridors in the region, and supporting the development of the seaports

at Belview, Rosslare and New Ross and air access at Waterford Regional Airport.


3. Deliver First-Class Energy and Communications, including development of broadband technologies and

development of renewable and green energy sources.

4. Foster Urban Regeneration and Improved Quality of Life for All, including investment in key strategic

sites and the public realm of towns and city centres in the region.

5. Full Implementation of the Joint Waste Management Plan for the South East.

The Limerick - Waterford strategic corridor, under the Atlantic Gateways Initiative - Corridor Development

Framework, will benefit the southern part of the county (especially those towns and villages along the

N24), as well as the environs of Waterford City within County Kilkenny.

Kilkenny County Council, through the LECP, will support projects to address infrastructure deficits

under the Regional Planning Guidelines. There is also critical infrastructure required to support and

attract economic development in County Kilkenny, including projects identified in the objectives of the

Kilkenny County Development Plan 2014-2020.

Collaboration with Waterford City Council

South Kilkenny is an important area in the context of the Waterford Gateway, and there has been proactive

collaboration between Kilkenny County Council and Waterford City Council in relation to the planning and

development of the area in recent years. This collaboration includes:

l the Ferrybank Development Project (FDP). The FDP was aimed at providing a co-ordinated response

to social inclusion, community development and service provision in the Ferrybank area;

l the Hillsfield Community Centre;

l the Ferrybank Community Development Strategic Plan 2015-2020 (jointly prepared by Kilkenny

County Council and Waterford City Council); and

l the Ferrybank-Belview Local Area Plan (LAP). The LAP has been prioritised by Kilkenny County

Council as the first plan to be reviewed following the adoption of the County and City Development

Plans. Kilkenny County Council held (in conjunction with Waterford City Council) a public meeting in

connection with the preparation of the draft Ferrybank-Belview LAP in early 2015.

Kilkenny County Council intends to continue to develop collaborative actions with Waterford City & County

Council in order to achieve better outcomes for the communities of Ferrybank and South Kilkenny.


Economic actions20 The LECP provides for a suite of 63 economic actions21 that will lead to the achievement of the high-level

goals and objectives over the time period 2016-2021.

goal 1: Support the Enterprise Economy Goal 1 is an enabling measure to ensure that the LECP has the capacity to respond to the requirements

of Economic Action Area 6 in promoting increased economic activity in line with both county and regional

priorities. The goal also aligns with Economic Action Areas 2 and 3.

Strong economies are essential to the development of sustainable communities. The LECP is founded

on the concept that a successful county must have thriving settlements at the core. These settlements

will drive economic growth. Human capital, as expressed in educational attainment and skills training, is

critical to economic prosperity and a high quality-of-life.

Employment is the key driver of economic activity. The proportion of the population who are in full-time

employment is a defining feature of economic prosperity. Europe 2020 provides an employment target

of 75%, whilst the National Reform Programme sets a target rate of 69-71%.

The International Labour Office (ILO) employment participation rate for Ireland in Q3, 2014 stood at

60.4% (unadjusted) or 60.0% seasonally adjusted rate. Over the period 2006-2011, male unemployment

in County Kilkenny experienced a threefold increase, reaching 23.2% in 2011. This compared to a

national male unemployment rate in 2011 of 22.3% and a two-and-a-half fold increase since 2006.

Female unemployment in Kilkenny experienced a twofold increase, reaching 14.7% in 2011, compared

to 15.0% nationally.

Unemployment rates in individual EDs reached levels well above those prevailing county wide, and are

highest in Urlingford (38.5% male, 26.3% female), followed by Graiguenamanagh (36.0% male, 18.8%

female), Johnstown (29.6% male, 23.3% female), Clogh (31.7% male, 20.5% female) and Moneenroe

(32.4% male, 19.6% female), all of which relate to small town areas.

The CSO Business Demography Survey 2012 found that the total number of businesses fell by over 700

(or 17%) during the recession from 3,996 in 2006 to 3,273 in 2012. The numbers employed in each

business sector also declined during the period by an average of 23%, excepting in the Financial and

Insurance business sector, which experienced a slight increase of 3%, highlighting the critical importance

of this sector to the local economy.

The CSO Business Demography Survey 2012 identifies the importance of the Manufacturing, Wholesale

and Retail, and the Accommodation and Food Sectors, as measured by the level of employment supported

in Co. Kilkenny. These three sectors accounted for some 9,864 employees in 2012.


20 Implementation of the LECP is required to conform to the following: The Regional Planning Guidelines and the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (whenever that is in place); and The provisions of the Kilkenny County and City Development Plans and Local Area Plans, including those provisions requiring sustainable development and Rural and Urban

Business Development Zones. Encourage innovative Social Economy businesses within these zones.

Belview Port is the nearest deep water Irish port to mainland Europe providing a saving to shippers of

both time and fuel while being a natural hub for the integration of port, shipping, road and rail freight

services. The Belview Development Zone is 6 km from Waterford City and is an ideal location for industry

in agribusiness. The zone incorporates 265 hectares of zoned land, including a strategic IDA land bank,

the Marine Point Business Park and Belview Port. Agri-food businesses that locate in Belview benefit

from a good transport infrastructure and direct access to the national motorway network.

Given the current economic performance of the county, the objective of Goal 1 is to strengthen the local

enterprise base. This will be achieved through targeting those diverse sectors that are seen to have an

increased employment potential during the period 2015-2021. Indicators have identified these sectors

to include (but are not limited to) FDI (generally), digital arts, culture-based activity, the tourism sector,

and agribusiness.

By encouraging further development across these sectors, in conformance with the provisions of the

Kilkenny County and City Development Plans and Local Area Plans, the economic dimensions of the

LECP will provide for increased levels of job creation requiring a range of skills delivered through a

variety of employment models. The LECP will also support the Fair Employment principle, as agreed and

accepted by Kilkenny County Council in September 2013.

Supporting Economic Recovery and Jobs – Locally22 states that the local authority is best placed to

promote the county as places to work, and to offer direct support to labour activation schemes. The report

also notes that the local authority is positioned to leverage local expertise to tailor national initiatives to

meet business needs. Such efforts include supporting business networking events, establishing sporting

and tourist heritage facilities, developing and driving a host of local festivals and events that support

employment.

The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) has a strong track record of supporting new start-ups and micro-

businesses and its integration with the functions of the Council provides an opportunity to support

Kilkenny-based businesses in new and innovative ways.

Enhanced Business networkingImproved networking will complement the existing business interest groups, and the networking activities

of LEO Kilkenny. It will also facilitate and support county-based business network events with the added

purpose of generating an enterprise culture, innovation, business opportunities and investment. The

networking model will also be used to identify the skills pool amongst the network membership and

encourage the transfer of skills.


21 Implementation of the Actions shall conform to the provisions of the Kilkenny County and City Development Plans and Local Area Plans as appropriate. The preparation of any lower tier plans or strategies would need to be subject to SEA and AA processes as appropriate.

22 DECLG: Local Government Sectoral Strategy to Promote Employment and Support Local Enterprise.

Food SectorThe agri-food sector is one of Ireland’s most important, employing approximately 50,000 people directly,

as well as providing the primary outlet for the produce of 128,000 family farms. These jobs are dispersed

throughout all regions of the country, and especially rural areas. The sector accounts for half of purchased

Irish goods and services by the manufacturing industry and just over half of exports by indigenous

manufacturing industries. The agri-food sector is a critical component of the local economy of County

Kilkenny.

The major companies operating in the agri-food sector within the county include Glanbia plc and Connolly’s

Red Mills, complemented by an emerging artisan food producer base of approximately 40 micro- and

medium-sized food producers. Glanbia plc has their Global Nutritionals Headquarters and the Group's

main innovation centre located in Kilkenny.

The Belview Development Zone is considered to be an ideal location for industry in agribusiness. Agri-

food businesses located in Belview benefit from a good transport infrastructure and access to the national

motorway network. It is the nearest major Irish port to mainland Europe providing a saving to shippers

of both time and fuel while being a natural hub for the integration of port, shipping, road and rail freight

services, all of which are vital to the agri-food sector.

artisan FoodsKilkenny Food Strategy, developed by the County Kilkenny Leader Partnership (CKLP), saw the

establishment of a South East Inter-agency Food Group whereby four of the largest food service buyers

in the country met with twenty-two food producers from the South East region. In turn, this led to the

development of the South East Food Export Initiative, which involved high-potential food producers in

the region in fast tracking access to export markets, particularly the UK. The initiative also saw the

potential for the future development of the Town of Food Project, Regional Food Trade Desk, the South

East Regional Artisan Food School, and the The Irish Food Co-op. The Irish Food Co-op (a cooperative

of artisan food producers from across the South East) is now well-established and assists small-scale

producers in distribution, delivery and sales to customers nationwide, including administration, ordering,

invoicing, sales and marketing and logistics. The overriding trading principle of the Co-op is to have ‘One

Order, One Delivery, One Invoice’ representing multiple local brands per customer. The service provided

by the Co-op is invaluable, especially to start-up food businesses.

Savour Kilkenny has developed into an annual major regional event that engages with the full artisan food

sector, reinforcing the potential for further development and indicating the strong cross-links with the

tourism sector.


incubation SpaceBased on identified sectoral demand, this action will see the development of micro-enterprise business

incubation units. The action will see the development of innovative models of space provision, and will

be informed by the experience of NACEC23, and the existing community-based enterprise centres in the

county. In particular, incubation space for start-up craft, digital media and design businesses, modelled

on the success of the craft units in the Castle Yard, Kilkenny (managed by the Kilkenny Civic Trust) and

the Castlecomer Demesne Company will be investigated. An initial study will be undertaken to ensure that

the provision of any additional space to be provided is economically sustainable, and will not introduce an

undermining displacement effect on the existing provision.

In parallel with the above, the action will see the development of a collective promotional network strategy

for incubation space in the county. This will inform the activities of all of the enterprise enabling agencies,

including LEO Kilkenny.

retail Excellence StrategyThere were 760 wholesale and retail businesses in County Kilkenny in 2012, employing over one in five

(23%) of the total number employed by businesses in the county, making it the most important NACE

code sector in terms of employment. A large proportion of these businesses are independent traders,

specialist boutiques and fashion stores located in the retail centre of Kilkenny City. The Kilkenny County

Development Plan 2014-2020 establishes four objectives with respect to future retail development:

l To improve convenience market share retained within the county to 80% post 2020;

l To improve comparison market share retained within the county to 75% post 2020;

l To increase convenience trade draw from 8% to 15% post 2020;

l To maintain comparison trade draw at 58% post 2020.

The Retail Excellence Strategy will build upon cross-sectoral collaborations in areas such as shop frontage

design, use of technology in marketing, and the use of local heritage and culture in marketing design.

This will improve the retail experience in the county, and will support the attainment of the County

Development Plan objectives.

Small Business incentive SchemeKilkenny County Council is committed to supporting the economic development of the city and county in

a structured and strategic manner. As part of the Action Plan for Jobs 2015 the Council is committed to

prioritising job creation locally and supporting small businesses in meaningful and practical ways.

In 2014, the Council invoiced over €18 million in commercial rates to local businesses. Businesses and

commercial premises owners, who have a vacant property, or vacant element, can have commercial

rates struck-off to reflect the level of vacancy. There were 424 vacant units in Kilkenny in 2014, 311 of

these were retail and office units. The average commercial rates for a shop are €4,213 and an office

23 National Association of Community Enterprise Centres


is €3,688. Vacant commercial properties have a negative visual impact affecting the streetscape and

business sentiment of the community and visitors alike. Kilkenny County Council will investigate a ‘Small

Business Vacant Premises Incentive Scheme’ for the occupation of vacant commercial units. Such a

scheme will support job creation; encourage businesses to occupy vacant premises; help regenerate

town streetscapes, and help improve business sentiment.

goal 1: actions SummaryAction 1.1: Engage with local business to address sectoral needs, whilst simultaneously facilitating

strategic collaborations, networking and innovation. This will include supporting and facilitating existing

business and sectoral networks.

Action 1.2: Host an annual enterprise conference, modelled on the BizFest event, to promote cross-

sectoral networking among small business in the region.

Action 1.3: Undertake a needs analysis of the Agri-Food sector in County Kilkenny to include artisan

food producers. Agree a Strategic Action Plan taking into account Food Wise 2025 targets, and facilitate

access to markets for example: through local initiatives, participation in food and tourism related trade

shows, thematic festivals and international linkages. There will be a Food Story developed as part of the

Ireland’s Ancient East brand will offer opportunities for Kilkenny to leverage its food offering.

Action 1.4: Support the further development and expansion of the Irish Food Co-op in the south east.

Action 1.5: Promote greater business links between the tourism and food sectors, in particular promoting

use of local produce by the local hospitality sector and attracting visitors to Kilkenny for additional food

and beverage related activities. This will include building on the success of the Savour Kilkenny Food

Festival.

Action 1.6: Build on Kilkenny’s strength as a hub for craft businesses and develop centres of excellence

for ceramics and jewellery. This action will also include the introduction of a bursary scheme to support

start-up craft businesses.

Action 1.7: Maximise the potential of Connect Ireland within Kilkenny to further develop diaspora networks

and international linkages in the areas of trade promotion, attracting investment and advice and support

to entrepreneurs.

Action 1.8: Engage with Community Enterprise Centres (CECs) in the County to investigate the potential

for further development of incubation space and support services. Explore the potential of a collective

approach to planning and promotion of CECs in the County.

Action 1.9: Promote greater awareness of and engagement in public procurement opportunities among

small businesses, and in particular, opportunities available within local authorities and the HSE.

Action 1.10: Develop a Retail Excellence Strategy and include cross-sectoral collaborations in areas such

as shop frontage design, use of technology in sales and marketing (including online trading), and the

use of local heritage and culture in marketing design. This action will also include promoting ecommerce

opportunities and increasing the number of Trading On-line Vouchers drawn down in particular by retailers

in the County.

Action 1.11: Proactively assist IDA Ireland to update its online marketing and promotional material for

Kilkenny City and County.


Action 1.12: Develop an incentive scheme for the occupation of vacant commercial units as a means of

supporting local business start-ups and job creation, as well as the regeneration of town streetscapes.

Action 1.13: Encourage greater use of alternative funding sources, especially for startups. This will include

promoting the Credit Union Small Business Loan Scheme and Micro Finance Ireland.

goal 2: Facilitate innovation and Entrepreneurship Goal 2 reflects core elements of Economic Action Area 5: Action Plan for Jobs and Labour Market

Activation, and Economic Action Area 6: Specific Action to Promote Increased Economic Activity in line

with Regional Priorities.

Goal 2 aims to advance economic activity and employment creation through the encouragement of

innovation and collaboration to provide an integrated support structure for enhanced levels of enterprise

start-up and growth.

County Kilkenny has shown the capacity to harness its locational attributes, and its well-developed image

as a county that is integral to the south-eastern economic corridor, whilst being largely rural in nature. It is

also served by a range of third-level institutions that can be further leveraged to support targeted sectoral

enterprise innovation: -

l Institute of Technology, Carlow provides a Research and Commercialisation Support Centre. This

provides a supportive environment to enterprise and entrepreneurs in the south-east region, connecting

them with cutting-edge research and expertise.

l Limerick Institute of Technology Clonmel delivers programmes in Business, Marketing, Creative

Multimedia, Digital Animation Production and Game Art and Design.

l Teagasc Kildalton is the largest agricultural college in the country. It is a leading provider of training in

Equine Studies, Machinery, Agriculture and Horticulture.

l The Kilkenny Campus of NUI Maynooth offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses for adult

students from Kilkenny and the south-east.

l Waterford Institute of Technology ArcLabs is a one-stop-shop for small businesses in the south-east

and beyond, providing access to the resources that the Institute offers to industry.

The outcome that is anticipated is the creation of an attractive and dynamic business environment that

caters for the needs of both existing and new employers and employees. It will enable Co. Kilkenny to

capitalise on its image and location through positive engagement with key players, including Enterprise

Ireland, IDA Ireland, and Third Level Institutions. Closer alliances between local employers and the enabling

State Agencies will increase the opportunity to foster innovative and sustainable employment options.


Enterprise Start-upGoal 1 aims to advance economic activity and employment creation through the provision of targeted

supports. Goal 2 complements this by harnessing Kilkenny’s economic and locational strengths, and

references the availability of a skilled labour pool, and the ability of the county to attract a workforce with

new and emerging skills.

The common outcome that is anticipated from the actions emerging from G2 is the creation of

a dynamic business environment that caters for the needs of entrepreneurs in establishing new

businesses or upscaling existing enterprises. This will be achieved through positive engagement

with key players, including LEO Kilkenny, the Kilkenny Leader Partnership, Enterprise Ireland,

IDA Ireland, Connect Ireland, South East Business Innovation Centre and third level academic

institutions. Additionally, closer alliances between local employers and the enabling state agencies will

increase the opportunity to foster new and sustainable employment options.Strategic Client Support

One of the main objectives of Goal G2 will be to identify and provide strategic supports to scalable

start-ups and existing small businesses with high potential and job creation. The South East BIC will

facilitate this process in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland (EI) and LEO Kilkenny, to include provision

of intensive mentoring and other specialist support. The South East BIC has access to the European

Business Network – EBN and Business Angels and Seed Capital Funds, including the Halo Business

Network (HBAN) in the South East.

abbey Creative QuarterKilkenny is the driver of growth for the county at a sub‐regional level and also supports Waterford City

in its role as a Gateway. Under the South East Regional Planning Guidelines, Kilkenny City has a target

population of 28,200 to be reached by the year 2022. The acquisition of the former Smithwick's Brewery

site affords the opportunity to re-plan the city to enhance the role of Kilkenny City as an economic driver.

The Kilkenny City and Environs Development Plan and the Kilkenny City Centre Local Area Plan, also

establishes conservation, sustainability, public realm and urban design strategies for the site. These

will deliver a mix of uses to ensure that this new quarter will be a vibrant and successful addition to the

medieval core. It will see the delivery of the following: -

l A new linear park on the banks of the River Nore;

l A new landscaped walk along the City Walls and Bregagh River;

l Conservation of historic buildings on the site;

l New public, landscaped spaces including a public square at St Francis Abbey;

l Sustainable and energy efficient strategies for individual buildings and the overall site;

l A university quarter centred on the regenerated industrial buildings to be retained on site;

l A new residential /student residential district;

l Indigenous and international knowledge economy uses on key sites; and

l Cultural, retail and tourist related uses on defined sites.


The Kilkenny LECP will facilitate the agreement of a phased development strategy for capitalising on the

Brewery Site potential – the development of which is provided for by the Kilkenny City Development Plan

and Abbey Quarter Masterplan – taking into account the Abbey Creative Quarter, and third and fourth

level educational provision. It will also facilitate the provision of enterprise incubation and advance office

space, and enterprise support mechanisms focusing on innovation and research.

design thinking initiativeThe brand name Kilkenny is synonymous with creativity and quality design. The Design Thinking initiative

will also focus on young people, and will deliver enterprise skills. The initiative will also be designed to

assist those who have a digital business concept to bring it to a pre-commercial or commercial stage.

It will also be suitable for those who have recently started a new digital-based business and wish to further

develop their skills in technical and business areas.

Social EnterpriseThe European Commission has placed the social economy and social innovation at the heart of the

Europe 2020 strategy, and the Programme for Government 2011-2016 recognises the important role of

social enterprise in the country and contains a commitment to promoting the development of a vibrant

and effective social enterprise sector. The Action Plan for Jobs 2014 identified social enterprise as a

growing enterprise sector that can bring further job gains and deliver economic potential. At national level

it was estimated that the social enterprise sector employed between 25,000 and 33,000 people in over

1,400 social enterprises, with a total income of around €1.4 billion.

Social enterprises tend to be set in the heart of rural and urban communities, and often employ those that

are most marginalised, and who find it most difficult to get jobs. Typically they provide local services, and

so jobs are created in local communities. As well as the multiplier effects from the direct jobs in the sector,

further indirect jobs are created either by enabling the development of other enterprises, for example by

social enterprises that assist economic and community development, or by providing services that bring

people to a community such as local festivals.

The consultation process for the Kilkenny LECP identified a number of significant social enterprises in the

county falling into four categories:

1. Economic and community development organisations;

2. Those creating employment opportunities for marginalised groups;

3. Those that deliver services that bring people to a community such as local festivals or events;

4. Those with commercial opportunities that are established to create a social return.

This action will aim to support the retention of local services, especially in rural areas (including rural

post offices). It will investigate further opportunities by developing a social enterprise strategy taking into

account specific needs of local communities. To achieve this, the action will build upon the experience


of successful local social enterprises, and will identify models of successful social enterprise that are

relevant to communities across County Kilkenny.

incubation WorkspaceAs a complementary measure to that of Goal 1, an audit of potential enterprise incubation workspace in

County Kilkenny will be undertaken. The audit will include vacant buildings, office and industrial space.

The emerging profile will provide an evidence-base to identify the need for additional space.

goal 2: actions SummaryAction 2.1: Provide a seamless information, advice and training support service for entrepreneurs

throughout the enterprise lifecycle from start-up through to up-scaling, expansion and growth. Particular

emphasis will be placed on accelerating the growth of high potential start-ups and businesses with job

creation potential.

Action 2.2: Develop partnerships with all frontline access points for business, including banks and

accountants, to ensure there is maximum awareness of the supports available to entrepreneurs, in

particular from the LEO.

Action 2.3: Develop support initiatives to target Back-to-Work Enterprise Allowance participants.

Action 2.4: Establish a panel of local business leaders, entrepreneurs and enterprise role models that will

champion entrepreneurship and enterprise in County Kilkenny.

Action 2.5: Promote enterprise and innovation opportunities among young farmers, in conjunction

with Kildalton College. This should include hosting of an annual Enterprise event specifically aimed at

young farmers and also examination of the potential of incorporating enterprise related elements into the

curriculum of mainstream courses.

Action 2.6: Agree a phased development strategy for capitalising on the potential of the Brewery Site

as a Creative Quarter, the development of which is provided for by the Kilkenny City Development Plan

and the Abbey Quarter Masterplan, with particular emphasis on 3rd and 4th level education provision,

incubation and advance office space, innovation and research. This action will include investigation of the

development of a “Fab Lab” facility, to assist business develop innovative and creative ideas.

Action 2.7: Develop a strategy to promote and further expand Digital Media, Animation and Design

activities in County Kilkenny, building on the past experience of the Kilkenny Design Workshops. The

strategy should include a ‘Design Thinking’ initiative to deliver enterprise skills to young people.

Action 2.8: Develop a social enterprise strategy facilitating access to a range of social enterprise supports

and services and learning through other models of success. This will include building on the experience

of the REDZ initiative; and designing support structures tailored to suit both urban and rurally based

social enterprise initiatives, creating jobs and providing potential services into local communities. This

should also include an examination of co-op type community shops selling local produce in rural villages.

Action 2.9: Undertake an audit of industrial and incubation workspace throughout the County and assess

gaps and/or need for additional space so as to better inform the market and highlight zoned and serviced

lands in the County. This action will also include an audit and assessment of vacant and underutilised

lands and structures, the development and use of which can be used for the promotion of economic

development in accordance with the provisions of the applicable development plan.


goal 3: Enhance the visitor Experience Engaging with Economic Action Areas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, Goal 3 builds on a key infrastructural strength

of County Kilkenny and Kilkenny City. It considers both the tourist market and the business visitor

(conference offerings).

Tourism is currently a major revenue generator for the local economy. It is estimated to be worth

approximately €60 million, and Kilkenny City is a thriving tourist base, accommodating over 200,000

domestic and 204,000 overseas tourists in 2013.

In October 2014 Fáilte Ireland published a set of key statistics on the performance of tourism across the regions

in 2013. This placed Kilkenny third behind Wexford and Waterford, with some 207,000 overseas visitors.

Of the attractions in the county and city, Kilkenny Castle attracted a total of 241,302 visitors in 2013.

Kilkenny is marketed as a heritage destination with a large number of associated visitor attractions. There

is potential to build upon the contribution of heritage to the economic development of Kilkenny. Natural

heritage is a further significant asset for the county. The high quality, natural environment supports the

economy by attracting employers, visitors and inward investment.

Failte Ireland has developed the new umbrella brand Ireland’s Ancient East: To offer visitors a compelling

reason to visit the East of the country. This new brand will ensure that the area – from Cork to Carlingford

and Cavan to Carnsore Point, and including inland counties as well as coastal – is presented in a cohesive

and unified manner. The brand proposition is 5000 years of history, lush green landscapes and stories

told by the best storytellers in the world. The four big international markets for Ireland are USA, GB,

France and Germany and – despite the growth in emerging markets – these four are forecast to remain

our strongest markets for some years to come. The Ireland's Ancient East brand will offer opportunities

for Kilkenny.

There are almost 350 food and accommodation businesses in County Kilkenny, accounting for

approximately one in six (or 16.7%) of the total number employed by all businesses. The county has also

developed an international profile as a venue for festivals that enhance the visitor offering, including: -

• The ‘Rhythm and Roots’ Festival, which hosts international stars of the bluegrass and country music scenes;

• The Cat Laughs Comedy Festival, now established as one of the top international comedy festivals;

• The Kilkenomics Festival, which brings together some of the world's leading economists and financial

commentators with stand-up comedians;

• The Source Festival - an outdoor music festival;

• The Kilkenny Arts Festival, which features the best of visual art, street performance and classical music;

• Subtitle, the world’s only festival of exclusively European subtitled films; and

• The Savour Kilkenny Food Festival, which showcases the produce of local food producers.

Given the proven capacity for the tourism industry to generate economic activity across a number of sub-

sectors, including accommodation, events, activities and transport, the goal is one of encouraging the

spread of the sectoral impact across the county beyond the established honey-pots and maximising the

opportunities that exist for Kilkenny to benefit from the Ireland’s Ancient Esat brand.


The development of the goal is also seen as instrumental in attracting FDI and business start-ups in

the county by reinforcing a positive image encompassing history, culture and the natural and built

environment.

Any development arising shall be in conformance with the provisions of the Kilkenny County and City

Development Plans and Local Area Plans. It is normal practice in the Council to ensure that:

• Any increase in visitor numbers are managed to avoid significant negative effects including loss of

habitat and disturbance;

• Any projects are a suitable distance from the edge of sensitive habitats such as rivers and streams; and

• Legislation relating to habitats, species, connectivity and designated sites is complied with.

There are an array of provisions which have been integrated in the aforementioned plans in this regard.

In 2013, Kilkenny achieved recognition as the Best Tourist Town in Ireland, one of the Friendliest Cities

in Europe, the Cleanest Business Town and the best Gathering Festival. All of this reinforces the sector

as a major revenue generator for the local economy of very great regional significance within the sector.

In 2011 the South-East attracted approximately 14% of domestic tourism. Kilkenny has traditionally

benefited from the domestic tourism market, particularly for short visits and this market is likely to become

increasingly important.

The LECP will support the development – conforming to the provisions of the Kilkenny County and

City Development Plans and Local Area Plans as appropriate - of sustainable tourism as an essential

component of the local economy. This will be achieved through co-operation between Fáilte Ireland,

Kilkenny County Council, Kilkenny Tourism, the LEADER Implementer and neighbouring counties in the

South East Region.

The attributes for tourism in the county include our green infrastructure comprising biodiversity, parks,

public realm open spaces, rivers, wetlands, woodlands, farmland and the built environment of the villages,

towns and urban areas. In this context, the Kilkenny LECP is designed to ensure that sustainable tourism

development should not only increase revenue for the sector, but should also deliver on conservation,

environmental and social goals.

Subject to conformance with the Kilkenny County and City Development Plans and Local Area Plans, the

LECP supports a sustainable increase in the volume of visitors, revenue per visitor, their average length

of stay and seasonal spread; whilst protecting the built heritage and green infrastructure that form the

resources on which the industry is based.

The LECP will support the implementation of the Strategic Marketing Plan for Kilkenny Tourism, the Fáilte

Ireland Destination South East, and the Destination Kilkenny Development Strategies.


goal 3: actions SummaryAction 3.1: Undertake an analysis of business tourism potential in County Kilkenny with reference to

conferences, business and major tourism entry points (such as Rosslare Port and Waterford Regional

Airport), marketing and PR and Ireland’s Ancient East campaign. This action will closely link with other

regionally-focused actions.

Action 3.2: Improve the visitor experience and business capability of outdoor activity providers active in

tourism. Initiatives to include analysis of the potential for: linking activity hubs and amenities; protection

and management of the county’s Green Infrastructure and the development of the County’s river assets

for fishing, boating and blueway trails. This will include engaging with the Ireland’s Ancient East team to

identify opportunities with the highest potential.

Action 3.3: Undertake an Asset Mapping exercise across the county to develop: area based specific

tourism strategies. This will also include initiatives focused on delivering a quality international tourism

experience around the Ireland Ancient East Brand. In particular, the potential to develop international

“stand-out” products based on Kilkenny’s comparative advantage in built and cultural heritage. This

action will include the development of the Medieval Mile Museum as a potential ‘hero site’ within Ireland’s

Ancient East, and identifying the opportunities to leverage the themes and stories which will work best to

bring Kilkenny to an international audience.

Action 3.5: Continue development of the ‘Medieval Mile’ and develop an action plan that links complementary

visitor attractions across the county aimed at prolonging and enhancing the visitor experience. This

will be a critical element of Kilkenny’s offering within Ireland’s Ancient East. Cross promotion of nearby

attractions will be important in the success of encouraging visitors to spend more time in the region rather

than using it as a transit zone.

Action 3.6: Design a county marketing and communications strategy to include activities around the

design and distribution of marketing materials, cluster initiatives, historical, and heritage interpretation

signs and cultural information signs. This action is aimed at increasing visitor numbers, sustaining the

quality of the visitor experience and prolonging the visitor’s stay in the county. This action will also include

maximising the potential of digital marketing, and use of tourism apps, video promotion and social media.

Action 3.7: Develop a strategy for Festivals as an economic driver, building on the very successful range

of existing festivals programmed throughout the year in County Kilkenny.


goal 4: Provide for Enhanced Levels of Educational attainment & Skills development Goal 4 responds to Economic Action Area 5: Action Plan for Jobs and Labour Market Activation, and

Economic Action Area 6: Specific Action to Promote Increased Economic Activity in line with Regional

Priorities. It builds upon the strength of the county in the context of the existing third-level institutions,

and further encourages the prospect of a fourth-level facility.

In line with the SOLAS Further Education and Training Strategy 2014-2019 the objective will be to support

economic development, increase social inclusion, and meet the needs of all learners, communities and

employers who engage with Further Education and Training. In terms of higher-level education and

training, this may be further reinforced in the future with the establishment of the South East Technological

University based on the integration of Waterford Institute of Technology and Carlow Institute of Technology.

The education and training system is seen as a core part of the local enterprise, development and

innovation infrastructure. The goal will help to address the unemployment challenge and provide

targeted skills programmes that support job seekers to re-skill and up-skill for sectors where sustainable

employment opportunities are emerging. This will be achieved through the delivery of higher quality,

flexible and responsive programmes. Working with SICAP and the Action Plan for Jobs, the goal will also

be to support initiatives designed to focus on unemployed people, in particular those who are long-term

unemployed, and the young unemployed.

The development of an integrated working relationship between employers, and the training and

educational providers will be achieved through innovative Enterprise Liaison Strategies, particularly

encouraging meaningful dialogue between the ETB and sectoral business networks. The encouragement

and acceleration of marketing skills using targeted sectoral networking will be facilitated to complement

the existing marketing interventions and supports provided by Kilkenny LEO. Additionally, the goal will

encourage increased research and development activity on the interface of 3rd and 4th Level academic

facilities and local enterprise.

FEt and Skills developmentGoal 4 will be to provide for enhanced local education and skilling access, including enhanced access

from currently excluded communities. In this regard, the delivery of SICAP in Kilkenny, aimed at tackling

poverty, social exclusion and long-term unemployment through local engagement and partnership between

disadvantaged individuals, community organisations and public sector agencies, will be supported. It will

also be an objective of the LECP to support the Gold Star Project, which is aimed at encouraging business

to be more inclusive of people with disabilities.

Community and voluntary sector facilities, arts centres and libraries will be engaged to drive new ideas in

the area of training and education - specifically for those who wish to build a career in arts and culture.

The potential of e-learning to provide access to information for otherwise hard to engage communities

will be exploited.


third Level ProvisionThe Action Plan for Jobs 2015 cites the improvement in skills provision that have occurred over the

past years, including the launch of SOLAS, the establishment of the Kilkenny and Carlow Education and

Training Board, the Momentum Programme, and the raft of employment incentive schemes such as

JobsPlus and the doubling of high-end skills as part of the second ICT Skills Action Plan.

The Kilkenny LECP recognises the importance of pursuing the establishment of the proposed Technological

University of the South East. It also acknowledges the need to develop high-end skills, in particular in ICT,

analytics and engineering. This demand must be met by increasing domestic graduate supply from the

local higher education sector. The LECP also notes the local importance of the agri-foods, tourism, craft

and the digital arts sectors.

The LECP further notes the importance of ensuring that all have access to STEM (Science, Technology,

Engineering and Maths) education, since these are increasingly central to the majority of employment

opportunities being created.

goal 4: actions SummaryAction 4.1: Identify key sectoral needs in terms of management and business development and co-

ordinate training activities in response to sectoral needs.

Action 4.2: Establish a local Enterprise Training and Education Forum to ensure co-ordinated delivery of

enterprise training and management development supports to small business owners and entrepreneurs

in the County. This will complement the work of the South East Regional Skills Forum, which has been

established to promote closer liaison between employers and the education sector in the region, including

strengthened industry liaison functions generally and developing structured programmes of awareness

raising of the capabilities and assets available to enterprises in the region.

Action 4.3: Promote greater awareness of the tourism product/offering across the County (through

initiatives such as “Know Your Own County” Campaign); develop tourism ambassadors for the County;

and highlight potential career opportunities within the tourism sector. This will also include delivery of Local

Tour Guide Training Programmes to upskill service providers, to increase knowledge and co-ordination of

existing and new visitor attractions, and to encourage cluster marketing and collective initiatives.

Action 4.4: Undertake to ascertain potential job opportunities in Kilkenny and assess skills requirements

and qualifications. Respond through education and training initiatives working closely with business

community, Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board and 3rd Level sectors. This action will

include the potential of training across a broad spectrum from traditional building skills to digital media/

film production and will also involve proactively engaging with third level institutes to further enhance and

develop 3rd and 4th level education provision, based on Kilkenny’s strengths and emerging opportunities.

Action 4.5: Continue to work in partnership with the Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board

and County Childcare Committee to provide training and locally based materials to teachers and childcare

providers on aspects of Kilkenny’s built, natural and cultural heritage.

Action 4.6: Support the establishment of the proposed Technological University of the South East.


goal 5: develop the rural Economy Goal 5 particularly references the framework of Economic Action Area 2: Promoting Economic Development

Through General Local Authority Powers and Functions, and Economic Action Area 6: Specific Action to

Promote Increased Economic Activity in line with Regional Priorities.

The Teagasc Rural Towns Index (2014) notes that at national level, poverty rates are higher (10%) in

small towns than cities (5%), and that one third of working age households have no one in work in small

towns compared with less than 20% in cities. It also notes that spending has fallen faster in smaller

towns than in urban areas as a consequence a vicious cycle is generated where higher unemployment

change results lower spending, which means more local shops close. In turn, this results in more vacant

properties.

Farming and farm related industries are of major importance to the economy of County Kilkenny, and

there is a strong tradition of progressive farming in the region. The average farm size of 44.7ha is the

largest of any region in the country and the standard output per farm as measured by the CSO is almost

double the national average.

The region has an ideal climate and soil type for growing grass and grazing enterprises predominate.

Dairying is the dominant enterprise in the region from an economic point of view although only one third

of farms have a dairy enterprise. There is a cattle-farming enterprise on almost all farms in the region.

There are also major food processing plants in the region, including Glanbia, Dawn Meats, ABP Foods,

and Flahavans (Waterford).

The National Field Vegetable Census 2009 confirmed that Kilkenny was a significant county for field

vegetable production. The major companies operating in the agri-food sector within County Kilkenny

include Connolly’s Redmills, complemented by an emerging artisan food producer base of approximately

40 micro- and medium-sized food producers. Glanbia plc has their Global Nutritionals Headquarters and

the Group's main innovation centre located in Kilkenny.

In order that the above growth targets are to be met, world-class environmental performance will be

required across all dimensions of the agri-food sector, from the farm to the factory and on to the customer

and consumer. International buyers in the agri-food sector also require evidence of good environmental

performance on the farm, as a contractual requirement. This will continue to drive the range of world-

class quality assurance schemes that the sector has been developing.

Notwithstanding the impact of the economic downturn, certain areas of County Kilkenny have been

shown to be more attractive for rural settlement, particularly around the major centres such as Kilkenny

and Waterford. The trends show that population increase in urban areas has been stronger than the

aggregate rural areas.


The County Development Plan notes that County Kilkenny can be divided into three broad categories: -

1. Areas under Urban Influence;

2. Stronger Rural Areas; and

3. Peripheral Areas of Population decline

Goal 5 particularly focuses on rural areas that are in decline, and will use, in conformance with the

provisions of the Kilkenny County and City Development Plans and Local Area Plans, a portfolio of actions

to increase the level of economic activity. The outcome of this will be to build sustainability into the local

rural economies, and enable them to contribute to the economic generation capacity of the county and

region. Kilkenny LECP aims to increase the resilience of the rural economy.

The impact of the economic recession has triggered many changes in rural town and village settings. It

has resulted in the creation of empty retail spaces, eroding the attractiveness of villages. This impact has

been further exacerbated by the changes that have occurred in the nature of retail activity, increasing the

perception of remoteness, and the impact of dormitory lifestyles.

rural EconomyThe development of resilient local economies is a continued point of focus for the Council. This approach

references the Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas (CEDRA) Report ‘Energising

Ireland’s Rural Economy’ noting that rural communities have experienced the most negative impacts of

the current economic crisis due to their heavy reliance on declining employment sectors.

Whilst Kilkenny generally benefits from its strategic location and relatively easy access to centres of

population, its rural settlements are placed under stress by the conflicting desirability of living in a rural

location, and the reducing local employment opportunity. This rural reality creates an environmentally

unsustainable situation, dimensions of which are addressed through the development of more resilient

and self-sufficient local communities.

goal 5: actions SummaryAction 5.1: Prepare and implement a Local Development Strategy for the next LEADER Rural Development Programme.24

Action 5.2: Work with local businesses and representative organisations to support the regeneration/

development of rural towns and areas by developing a strategic development plan for key towns in each

Municipal District (incorporating social and community development aspects, heritage led regeneration

and hinterland associations). These will include proposals to enhance the consumer experience and

attractiveness of town centres and villages for shopping and visiting. Rural towns and villages in particular

can contribute to the tourism offering, as they are home to many hidden gems, encouraging visitors to get

off the beaten track and discover these areas.

Action 5.3: Support the development of rural enterprise and diversification initiatives. This action will

include exploring rural development opportunities in particular renewable energy and green technology.

Action 5.4: Support the development of an agri-food-science network and identify and support employment

creation potential.

24 It should be noted that two competing bids will be submitted in respect of County Kilkenny for the delivery of the next LEADER Rural Development Programme. Depending on the outcome

of that competitive process, it may be necessary to review the actions contained in the LECP (i.e. the actions that will be resourced by the LEADER Programme and/or CKLP.)


goal 6: improve access and Communications infrastructure Goal 6 relates specifically to Economic Action Area 4: Economic Components of the Community/Local

Development Role, and Economic Action Area 6: Specific Action to Promote Increased Economic Activity

in line with Regional Priorities. It builds upon the amenity and environmental value of the City and county.

It proposes that the County Council engages positively with the Societal Change Pillar of EU Horizon

2020, and key aspects will be delivered in close cooperation with Carlow-Kilkenny Energy Agency.

transportSmarter Travel: A Sustainable Transport Future 2009-2020 notes that delivering a sustainable transport

system is an important dimension of the climate change agenda. The strategy concludes that to achieve

a sustainable transport system, individual lifestyles will have to change and develop a range of solutions

which deal with conflicting goals, including economic growth, reduced emissions, less use of motorised

transport and better accessibility.

Kilkenny City and Environs Development Plan 2014-2020 introduced the ‘ten minute city’ concept, based

on the concept of access to all local facilities within a 10-minute cycle or walk from home. Kilkenny City is

approximately 3km wide and 4.5km long. Few journeys undertaken within the city are more than 2.5 km

in length; and assuming an average cycle speed of 15 km per hour, that equates to 10 minutes. Similarly,

the city’s commercial centre is approximately 0.5 km wide by 0.5 km long, it is therefore possible to walk

its extent, assuming a walk speed of 4km per hour, in approximately 10 minutes.

Achieving the goal of a more sustainable public transport system will lead to a better quality-of-life,

not just in terms of economic competitiveness, greater social inclusion and a healthier population, but

also through an improved urban landscape, which will be enhanced through traffic calming and other

measures.

The promotion of walking, cycling, public transport and other more sustainable forms of transport as an

alternative to the private car, together with the development of the necessary infrastructure and promotion

of the initiatives will be supported by Kilkenny County Council, in conformance with the provisions of the

County and City Development Plans and Local Area Plans.

County Kilkenny has an opportunity to develop its ‘green’ credentials by encouraging the development and

implementation of innovative, integrated public transport modes, moving significantly beyond the existing

infrastructure. The continuation of this approach encourages the development of integrated models of

City Access, Parking, Park-and-Stride, and the use of Green Infrastructure for creating pedestrian links to

relieve congestion and improve the environment and attractiveness in particular of the compact Kilkenny

City core.


BroadbandHigh-quality reliable broadband is a prerequisite of business. Such a service is not widely available to the

rural consumer at recognised industry standard speeds and at an affordable price. Whilst a number of

initiatives are in place to improve coverage, it is likely that some areas, particularly in rural locations, will

still be unable to access commercial offerings.

The LECP will support the development and implementation of innovative solutions designed to improve

the quality of broadband services across the county, including those being offered in rural locations. In

so doing it will support the concept of the Rural Economic Development Zones (REDZ) in providing for

sustainable enterprise opportunities. Any variation to the County Development Plan or to Local Areas Plans

to designate such zones shall be subject to Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Appropriate

Assessment (AA) Screening processes.

Strategic infrastructureBelview Port is the nearest deep-water Irish port to mainland Europe. Two thirds of the Irish domestic

market lies within a 160km radius of Belview, with direct access to the national rail network and the

motorway network. It is regionally very significant in terms of employment creation.

Kilkenny City represents the largest centre of employment for those residing, and also working in the

county. Kilkenny attracts employees from throughout the county, defining itself as a strong commuter

town, the majority of which travel by car. Inward commuting Kilkenny employees tend to be most

distributed in the centre and north of the county.

County Waterford is the largest employment centre for those who are resident in County Kilkenny but are

working outside of the county, comprising a majority of 50%; 45% of which are employed in Waterford

City alone, whilst the remaining 5% are employed elsewhere in County Waterford.

goal 6: actions SummaryAction 6.1: Maximise the potential of the Belview Port industrial zone in terms of infrastructure and job

creation opportunities.25

Action 6.2: Develop a walking, cycling and waterways trail strategy to include the potential of enterprise

related activities and job creation potential and linked to tourism actions.

Action 6.3: Support the development of a linked County and City integrated transport service. This will

include supporting the further development of rural transport initiatives such as Ringalink. This action will

also focus on specific actions for sustainable travel to address the high level of commuting from Kilkenny

to Waterford.

Action 6.4: Undertake a Broadband Needs Analysis and facilitate the rollout of high speed broadband

across the county, in particular in rural areas. This action will include supporting small-scale pilot projects

and local providers to enhance their networks and include more rural households and businesses in

accessing broadband.

25 Development within the Belview area is required to conform with the provisions of the Kilkenny County Development Plan and the Ferrybank-Belview Local Area Plan.


goal 7: Foster Leadership and Local CapacityReferencing the enhanced role of Kilkenny County Council in leading economic and community

development in the future, Goal 7 responds to Economic Action Area 2: Promoting Economic Development

Through General Local Authority Powers and Functions, and Economic Action Area 4: Economic

Components of the Community/Local Development Role.

Kilkenny County Council has a significant influence on the local economy as provider, enabler, procurer

or regulator in a range of matters such as infrastructure, sustainable development, and local services, as

well as directly providing over 500 jobs.

The County Council works to promote local economic development in various ways, including co-

ordinating response to possible local economic setbacks.

In addition to this significant impact on economic activity, in the future, economic development will be

regarded as a core local authority function alongside these more traditional roles.

The guidelines for the LECP note that ‘while certain local authority functions have a very specific economic

character, the economic development role needs to be approached from the perspective that ALL local

government activity has the potential to contribute to this overarching goal, and it should be a lens

through which all relevant activities of the local authority are viewed. In addition, the impact of local

authority functions on local and regional competitiveness is significant, particularly in relation to local

housing markets, and also in terms of investment in and management of key infrastructure including

roads, and direct impact on the cost of doing business in an area’.

Optimisation of the role of the County Council will be necessary to embed and prioritise the objective

of economic development in all relevant County Council functions, including planning, infrastructure,

environment, and amenity.

It will be necessary to consider not only publically owned land-banks but also opportunities for private sector

development. The County Council role in housing and related planning and infrastructural functions, are

crucially relevant to the overall economy, both in supporting competitiveness and maintaining balance

and sustainable development in the housing market to avoid any repeat of cyclical economic instability.

A number of tools will be used to achieve the outcome, primarily focussing on the development of smarter

sectoral and local networking forums within the business community. In turn this will see the development

of new models of fostering local leadership that will innovatively link across the divide between existing

structures such as Chambers of Commerce and the Public Participation Network.


goal 7: actions SummaryAction 7.1: Work closely with the private sector in developing a county level approach to ensure that office

and industrial developments can come on stream quickly.

Action 7.2: Ensure that in the revision of the Core Strategy (and subsequent Development Plans)

that sufficient land for residential development, industrial development and infrastructure is provided

consistent with the regional population targets. The designation of zoned land is undertaken by land use

plans, and must comply with higher level planning objectives and is informed by SEA and AA processes

as appropriate.

Action 7.3: Establish an inter-agency working group to ensure strategic and efficient support of LECP

action implementation.

goal 8: Protect the natural, Cultural and Built Environment Goal 8 is linked to Goal 3 and Goal 5. It particularly references Economic Action Area 6: Specific Action to

Promote Increased Economic Activity in line with Regional Priorities. The goal recognises that the natural

environment performs a wide range of roles in enhancing Kilkenny City, the towns, rural villages and the

wider countryside. The environment encompasses natural amenity, biodiversity, education, social and

community benefits, and health and well-being benefits. Playing fields, parks, gardens and informal

open spaces are not only important as a recreational resource but also provide valuable green areas

for wildlife corridors and habitats, act as buffers between different land uses, enhance visual amenity,

especially in developed areas, and contribute to the quality-of-life of everyone.

The goal also recognises the importance of the built environment of the county to the creation of

sustainable communities as places where people will want to live and work, now and in the future. A

quality built environment is required to contribute to a high quality of life by providing safe, inclusive, and

well-planned spaces that offer equality of opportunity and good services for all.

The social and economic development of County Kilkenny is intrinsically linked to its heritage. The

county’s character and culture are vital assets that help the county compete as a tourism destination and

a location of choice for investment. It also provides the basis for leisure activity adding to an enhanced

quality-of-life and sense of well-being.

abbey Creative QuarterThe location of the Abbey Creative Quarter site adjoining the medieval heart of Kilkenny City provides not

only an opportunity to regenerate the area economically and socially but also provides an opportunity to

repair the fabric of the city, to reinstate traditional streets and slipways.

The Abbey Creative Quarter presents Kilkenny City with an opportunity to create a modern intervention

adjoining its medieval core that will enhances its cultural heritage, contribute to its sustainability through

its design and function, and allows it to compete in the knowledge economy of the twenty-first century.


Development within the Abbey Creative Quarter area is required to conform with the provisions of the

Kilkenny City Development Plan and the Abbey Quarter Masterplan.

Belview Port developmentThe Belview site has excellent access to the Waterford City Gateway, a city with a population of 50,000

and there are three third level facilities within 50 minutes drive, producing 3,500 graduates per year.

Development within the Belview area is required to conform with the provisions of the Kilkenny County

Development Plan and the Ferrybank-Belview Local Area Plan.

Goal 8 is designed to encourage a deeper understanding of the natural, cultural and built assets of County

Kilkenny. This will result in more enlightened physical development, and will support the creation of a

strong culture and practice of environmental sustainability across the county. Within this overarching

outcome, the goal will support the greater appreciation of the heritage of the county. In turn this will help

to protect the environment and local heritage.

Local communities of place and interest will be encouraged to innovatively consider the implementation

of key aspects of the green economy and the adoption of appropriate alternative and smart energy

solutions. Kilkenny’s heritage (built, natural and cultural) is that which makes the county unique. It

provides significant economic benefits for the county as it underpins important economic sectors such

as agriculture, tourism and recreation. It contributes to our quality and enjoyment of life, and our sense

of place and local pride.

The National Heritage Plan and the National Biodiversity Plan 2011-2016 recognise the key role that local

authorities, and locally-led action, plays in heritage awareness and management. A key element of both

plans is an enhanced role for local authorities in heritage management, to be given effect through the

preparation and implementation of County Heritage Plans and Biodiversity Action Plans. Kilkenny County

Council, in partnership with the Kilkenny Heritage Forum, prepares and implements the County Kilkenny

Heritage Plan and Biodiversity Plan. The LECP will seek the protection and sustainable management of

our environment and heritage for future generations.

goal 8: actions SummaryAction 8.1: Undertake to identify, record and map the natural and cultural assets within the county to

facilitate their protection and sustainable management whilst identifying access to job creation and skills

development potential.

Action 8.2: Support community-led and farm based initiatives to raise awareness about and conserve

biodiversity and natural capital.

Action 8.3: Design and implement locally based heritage awareness and education initiatives within

industry, schools and communities.

Action 8.4: Support the development of the Abbey Creative Quarter, the Medieval Mile and the 5 medieval

walled towns (that are part of the Irish Walled Towns Network.)


Action 8.5: Expand the Better Energy Communities Initiative in Kilkenny to promote energy efficiency

measures and promote cost savings through energy efficiency programmes and training for the local

business community. This will include working with the Carlow Kilkenny Energy Agency to promote energy

efficiency best practice.

Action 8.6: Maximise the socio-economic and community benefits of the county’s built, natural and

cultural heritage by resourcing and implementing the County Kilkenny Heritage Plan and the County

Kilkenny Biodiversity Plan.

Action 8.7: Provide support for the commercial and retail sector on the retention and maintenance of

heritage premises and shopfronts.

Action 8.8: Ensure that the heritage of Kilkenny, which contributes to its USP, is conserved and sustainably

managed. This will include investigating opportunities for Kilkenny’s involvement in the national Historic

Towns Initiative (currently being piloted) and supporting the “Living Cities Initiative” and similar schemes.

goal 9: Contribute to regional growth and international Potential Goal 9 is the major crosscutting element of the Kilkenny LECP. It is designed to respond to, and enable

all of the Economic Action Areas.

Over the period 2010-2014 the IDA reports that it won 34 investments for the South East Region (Wexford,

Waterford, Carlow, Kilkenny, and South Tipperary). There are currently 12,081 people employed by IDA

clients in the south east region in a range of companies, with particular strengths in medical technologies.

The Life Sciences and PharmaChem sector has a defined requirement for a skilled labour pool,

competitively priced property options, robust telecommunications infrastructure. The IDA's Belview site

is available for pharmaceutical, industry and technology use.

Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) offers significant research expertise capability locally to the

sector through its Pharmaceutical and Molecular Biotechnology Research Centre (PMBRC). This facility

focuses on areas such as polymeric materials, drug delivery, process technologies, separation science

and molecular biotechnology.

Between 30% and 40% uplift in investments for the South East Region delivered through IDA Ireland

would result in some 44 to 48 projects. This would capitalise on the regional activity, particularly where

this is focussed on realising new and emerging international opportunities. To further support this. Goal 9

will facilitate the development of international linkages resulting in potential export market access for local

business. It will also encourage FDI and visitors to the county. Development arising would be required to

conform with the provisions of the County and City Development Plans and Local Area Plans.

This goal will enable the county to develop a more coherent and successful mechanism for pursuing

additional funding and resource opportunities. It will also facilitate 3rd Level international linkages and

networks that are designed to add value to the existing or emerging business community in County

Kilkenny and the region. County Kilkenny is already involved in a significant number of regional initiatives


that have a direct bearing on the economic development of the region. These will be reinforced through

this goal, which will seek to initialise and capitalise on regional activity, particularly where this is focussed

on realising new and emerging international opportunities.

From an economic perspective, the development of international linkages that result in access to

international markets in terms of tourism and export potential for local business will be facilitated.

SmartPly, a Coillte company, based in Belview is a company with significant regional potential. The

plant uses trees, harvested mainly in the Southern part of the country, to manufacture innovative and

sustainable wood products used by building companies in flooring, building frames, roofing, and many

other applications. Over 90% of the output produced is for export and Coillte recently announced plans

to expand the manufacturing facility. This new facility will provide other suppliers, including farmers and

private forestry growers, with a long-term destination for pulp wood, including from forest thinnings.

It is recognised that Local Authorities in Ireland have not been accessing and availing of EU funding

opportunities to the same extent as other European municipalities. This goal will be used to enable

the county to develop a more coherent and successful mechanism for pursuing additional funding and

resource opportunities, and in developing innovative engagement models that seek to scale-up local

actions to identify and secure funding opportunities. Focus will be given to INTERREG funding and

the new ERDF Urban Development Fund, and also enabling actions related to relevant initiatives of

investment programmes such as the SFI.

The South East BIC is actively involved in EU projects. Through its EBN connection and membership

of Special Interest Groups the BIC can assist suitable companies to be engaged / participate in suitable

Horizon 2020 projects. In particular, the South East BIC is involved in the BIO Economy Group which is

heavily orientated towards agriculture and ICT. LEO Kilkenny will work with South East BIC to ensure that

these opportunities can be maximised for businesses in County Kilkenny. It is expected that Goal 9 will

result in more local companies participating in EU projects and benefitting from greater transference of

ideas, processes and project funding opportunities.

goal 9: actions SummaryAction 9.1: Support industry-led fora and strategic collaborations at regional level, with a view to contributing

to the overall development of the South East Region. In particular, Kilkenny County Council will proactively

support the implementation of the South East Enterprise Action Plan for Jobs. This will include collating

baseline data to contribute to the actions in the South East Action Plan for Jobs.

Action 9.2: Support the participation of Kilkenny based enterprises in best practice events across the

South East Region, including participation in EU funded programmes and initiatives.

Action 9.3: Further advance the proposal for a European centre of excellence for ICT in Agriculture in Kilkenny.

Action 9.4: Participate in the eDIGIREGION Project and assist in the development of smart specialisation

strategies for the South East Region.


Action 9.5: Proactively work with other local authorities to promote the region and advance regional

opportunities, including the implementation of the South East Region - Action Plan for Jobs. This will also

include collaborating to develop the South East as an agri-tech centre of excellence.

Action 9.6: Assist in the development of a showcase of the region’s manufacturing base with a dual focus

on: attracting young people to careers in manufacturing; and facilitating manufacturing companies to

promote more STEM participation in schools.

Action 9.7: Exploit the potential of convergence opportunities in the South East, linking life-sciences with

pharma/medical devices, engineering, ICT, and Telecoms.

Action 9.8: Contribute to a regional assessment of the economic value added potential of the forestry

sector.

Action 9.9: Establish a programme on a regional level for large employers to collaborate to brand the

region as a tourist destination.


Community actionsThe Community Plan has 4 high-level goals, 12 strategic objectives and 120 actions to be delivered by

approximately 29 agencies (sections of agencies) and groups across the county from 2016 to 2021.

Goal 10: Addressing Area based Poverty and Disadvantage has 4 strategic objectives and 50 actions

• Improving deprivation of those living in small pockets of disadvantage

• Has 14 actions – across various agencies and groups in the county

• Increasing the level of education attainment for those living in disadvantaged areas

• Has 19 actions - across various agencies and groups in the county

• Reducing the level of unemployment in disadvantaged areas


• Reducing the level of Youth unemployment in disadvantaged areas


Goal 11: Addressing Poverty and Social Exclusion has 2 strategic objectives and 25 actions

• Ensuring the inclusion and engagement of all citizens in the county


• To put particular focus on Lone parents, Travellers, People from ethnic minority and cultural groups,

Older people, people with a disability and children and young people – ensuring these groupings are

prioritised in relation to poverty goals


Goal 12: Enhancing Community Facilities and Participation has 4 strategic objectives and 24 actions

• Ensure all citizens have access to appropriate community facilities


• Ensure all facilities are used to their optimum capacity, open and available to all


• Ensure community development coordination at MD level to support communities at local level


• To increase community participation and civic engagement at MD and county level


Goal 13: Improving Health and Well-being has 2 strategic objectives and 21 actions

• Ensure the health & wellbeing of all Kilkenny’s citizens


• To put particular focus on people with a disability, substance misuse, mental health and suicide,

Travellers, ethnic minority and cultural groups, homelessness and LGBTI

• Has 19 actions - across various agencies and groups in the county.



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imul

tane

ousl

y fac

ilita

ting

stra

tegi

c co

llabo

ratio

ns, n

etwo

rkin

g an

d in

nova

tion.

Thi

s wi

ll in

clud

e su

ppor

ting

and

faci

litat

ing

exis

ting

busi

ness

and

sec

tora

l net

work

s.

LEO

Kilk

enny

; Oth

er L

EOs

in

the

regi

on; E

I; Lo

cal I

ndus

try20

16-2

021

Orga

nise

co

nfer

ence

.ac

tion

1.2:

Hos

t an

annu

al e

nter

pris

e co

nfer

ence

, mod

elle

d on

the

BizF

est e

vent

, to

prom

ote

cros

s-se

ctor

al n

etwo

rkin

g am

ong

smal

l bu

sine

ss in

the

regi

on.

LEO

Kilk

enny

; CKL

P; Te

agas

c;

Farm

ing

Grou

ps; L

ocal

In

dust

ry

2016

-201

7Co

mpl

etio

n of

ne

eds

anal

ysis

.ac

tion

1.3:

Und

erta

ke a

nee

ds a

nalys

is o

f the

Agr

i-Foo

d se

ctor

in C

ount

y Ki

lken

ny to

incl

ude

artis

an fo

od p

rodu

cers

. Agr

ee a

Stra

tegi

c Ac

tion

Plan

taki

ng in

to a

ccou

nt F

ood

Wis

e 20

25 ta

rget

s, a

nd fa

cilit

ate

acce

ss

to m

arke

ts fo

r exa

mpl

e: th

roug

h lo

cal i

nitia

tives

, par

ticip

atio

n in

food

an

d to

uris

m re

late

d tra

de s

hows

, the

mat

ic fe

stiv

als

and

inte

rnat

iona

l lin

kage

s. T

here

will

be

a Fo

od S

tory

dev

elop

ed a

s pa

rt of

the

Irela

nd’s

Anci

ent E

ast b

rand

will

offe

r opp

ortu

nitie

s fo

r Kilk

enny

to le

vera

ge it

s fo

od o

fferin

g.

LEO

Kilk

enny

; Oth

er L

EOs

in

the

regi

on; C

KLP

2016

-201

7Su

ppor

t Stru

ctur

e.ac

tion

1.4:

Sup

port

the

furth

er d

evel

opm

ent a

nd e

xpan

sion

of t

he Ir

ish

Food

Co-

op in

the

sout

h ea

st.

LEO

Kilk

enny

; CKL

P; Te

agas

c;

Failt

e Ire

land

; Kilk

enny

To

uris

m; B

ord

Bia

2016

-202

1Es

tabl

ish

Stru

ctur

e.ac

tion

1.5:

Pro

mot

e gr

eate

r bus

ines

s lin

ks b

etwe

en th

e to

uris

m a

nd

food

sec

tors

, in

parti

cula

r pro

mot

ing

use

of lo

cal p

rodu

ce b

y the

loca

l ho

spita

lity s

ecto

r and

attr

actin

g vi

sito

rs to

Kilk

enny

for a

dditi

onal

fo

od a

nd b

ever

age

rela

ted

activ

ities

. Thi

s wi

ll in

clud

e bu

ildin

g on

the

succ

ess

of th

e Sa

vour

Kilk

enny

Foo

d Fe

stiv

al.

Stre

ngth

ened

loca

l en

terp

rise

base

th

roug

h ta

rget

ing

sect

ors

with

em

ploy

men

t pot

entia

l.

This

will

pro

vide

for

incr

ease

d le

vels

of

job

crea

tion

requ

iring

a

rang

e of

ski

lls

deliv

ered

thro

ugh

a va

riety

of e

mpl

oym

ent

mod

els.

26

Impl

emen

tatio

n of

the

LEC

P is

req

uire

d to

con

form

to th

e fo

llow

ing:

Th

e R

egio

nal P

lann

ing

Gui

delin

es a

nd th

e R

egio

nal S

patia

l and

Eco

nom

ic S

trat

egy

(whe

neve

r th

at is

in p

lace

); a

nd

The

prov

isio

ns o

f the

Kilk

enny

Cou

nty

and

City

Dev

elop

men

t Pla

ns a

nd L

ocal

Are

a P

lans

, inc

ludi

ng th

ose

prov

isio

ns r

equi

ring

sust

aina

ble

deve

lopm

ent a

nd R

ural

and

Urb

an B

usin

ess

Dev

elop

men

t Zon

es. E

ncou

rage

inno

vativ

e So

cial

Eco

nom

y bu

sine

sses

with

in th

ese

zone

s.92

Kilk

enny

Loc

al E

cono

mic

and

Com

mun

ity P

lan

26

Impl

emen

tatio

n of

the

LEC

P is

req

uire

d to

con

form

to th

e fo

llow

ing:

Th

e R

egio

nal P

lann

ing

Gui

delin

es a

nd th

e R

egio

nal S

patia

l and

Eco

nom

ic S

trat

egy

(whe

neve

r th

at is

in p

lace

); a

nd

The

prov

isio

ns o

f the

Kilk

enny

Cou

nty

and

City

Dev

elop

men

t Pla

ns a

nd L

ocal

Are

a P

lans

, inc

ludi

ng th

ose

prov

isio

ns r

equi

ring

sust

aina

ble

deve

lopm

ent a

nd R

ural

and

Urb

an B

usin

ess

Dev

elop

men

t Zon

es. E

ncou

rage

inno

vativ

e So

cial

Eco

nom

y bu

sine

sses

with

in th

ese

zone

s.

LEO

Kilk

enny

; CKL

P; D

CCOI

2016

-202

1Es

tabl

ish

Stru

ctur

e.Ac

tion

1.6:

Bui

ld o

n Ki

lken

ny’s

stre

ngth

as

a hu

b fo

r cra

ft bu

sine

sses

an

d de

velo

p ce

ntre

s of

exc

elle

nce

for c

eram

ics

and

jewe

llery.

Thi

s ac

tion

will

also

incl

ude

the

intro

duct

ion

of a

bur

sary

sch

eme

to s

uppo

rt st

art-

up c

raft

busi

ness

es.

Conn

ect I

rela

nd; I

DA;

EI; K

ilken

ny C

ham

ber o

f Co

mm

erce

; Iris

h Ho

tels

Fe

dera

tion;

IBEC

2016

-202

1Es

tabl

ish

Netw

orks

.Ac

tion

1.7:

Max

imis

e th

e po

tent

ial o

f Con

nect

Irel

and

with

in K

ilken

ny

to fu

rther

dev

elop

dia

spor

a ne

twor

ks a

nd in

tern

atio

nal l

inka

ges

in th

e ar

eas

of tr

ade

prom

otio

n, a

ttrac

ting

inve

stm

ent a

nd a

dvic

e an

d su

ppor

t to

ent

repr

eneu

rs.

LEO

Kilk

enny

; Kilk

enny

CoC

o;

EI; N

atio

nal A

ssoc

iatio

n of

Com

mun

ity E

nter

pris

e Ce

ntre

s

2016

-201

7Aw

aren

ess

even

ts.

Actio

n 1.

8: E

ngag

e wi

th C

omm

unity

Ent

erpr

ise

Cent

res

(CEC

s) in

th

e Co

unty

to in

vest

igat

e th

e po

tent

ial f

or fu

rther

dev

elop

men

t of

incu

batio

n sp

ace

and

supp

ort s

ervi

ces.

Exp

lore

the

pote

ntia

l of a

co

llect

ive

appr

oach

to p

lann

ing

and

prom

otio

n of

CEC

s in

the

Coun

ty.

LEO

Kilk

enny

; Kilk

enny

CoC

o;

EI; L

GMA

2016

-201

7Aw

aren

ess

Even

ts.

Actio

n 1.

9: P

rom

ote

grea

ter a

ware

ness

of a

nd e

ngag

emen

t in

publ

ic

proc

urem

ent o

ppor

tuni

ties

amon

g sm

all b

usin

esse

s, a

nd in

par

ticul

ar,

oppo

rtuni

ties

avai

labl

e wi

thin

loca

l aut

horit

ies

and

the

HSE.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; K

ilken

ny

Cham

ber o

f Com

mer

ce;

Reta

il Ex

celle

nce

Irela

nd;

Reta

il Ire

land

; RGD

ATA;

LEO

Ki

lken

ny

2016

-201

7Pu

blic

atio

n of

Re

port

Actio

n 1.

10: D

evel

op a

Ret

ail E

xcel

lenc

e St

rate

gy a

nd in

clud

e cr

oss-

sect

oral

col

labo

ratio

ns in

are

as s

uch

as s

hop

front

age

desi

gn, u

se

of te

chno

logy

in s

ales

and

mar

ketin

g (in

clud

ing

onlin

e tra

ding

), an

d th

e us

e of

loca

l her

itage

and

cul

ture

in m

arke

ting

desi

gn. T

his

actio

n wi

ll al

so in

clud

e pr

omot

ing

ecom

mer

ce o

ppor

tuni

ties

and

incr

easi

ng

the

num

ber o

f Tra

ding

On-

line

Vouc

hers

dra

wn d

own

in p

artic

ular

by

reta

ilers

in th

e Co

unty.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; ID

A20

16-2

017

IDA

mat

eria

l.Ac

tion

1.11

: Pro

activ

ely a

ssis

t IDA

Irel

and

to u

pdat

e its

onl

ine

mar

ketin

g an

d pr

omot

iona

l mat

eria

l for

Kilk

enny

City

and

Cou

nty.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o20

16-2

017

Laun

ch S

chem

eAc

tion

1.12

: Dev

elop

an

ince

ntiv

e sc

hem

e fo

r the

occ

upat

ion

of v

acan

t co

mm

erci

al u

nits

as

a m

eans

of s

uppo

rting

loca

l bus

ines

s st

art-

ups

and

job

crea

tion,

as

well

as th

e re

gene

ratio

n of

town

stre

etsc

apes

.

LEO

Kilk

enny

; Cre

dit U

nion

s;

MFI

; Bus

ines

s Ne

twor

ks20

16-2

021

Awar

enes

s Ev

ents

an

d m

ediu

ms

Actio

n 1.

13: E

ncou

rage

gre

ater

use

of a

ltern

ativ

e fu

ndin

g so

urce

s,

espe

cial

ly fo

r sta

rtups

. Thi

s wi

ll in

clud

e pr

omot

ing

the

Cred

it Un

ion

Smal

l Bus

ines

s Lo

an S

chem

e an

d M

icro

Fin

ance

Irel

and.

tabl

e 2

– go

al 2

: Fac

ilita

te in

nova

tion

and

Entr

epre

neur

ship

high

-Lev

el g

oal

high

-Lev

el o

utco

me

obje

ctiv

eke

y Pa

rtne

r org

anis

atio

nstim

efra

me

Proj

ect

Mile

ston

esac

tions

G2: F

acili

tate

In

nova

tion

and

trepr

eneu

rshi

p

O2: P

rovi

de a

n in

tegr

ated

sup

port

stru

ctur

e co

nduc

ive

to e

nter

pris

e st

art-

up

and

grow

th.

LEO

Kilk

enny

; EI

2016

-202

1En

hanc

ed

serv

ice

esta

blis

hed.

Actio

n 2.

1: P

rovi

de a

sea

mle

ss in

form

atio

n, a

dvic

e an

d tra

inin

g su

ppor

t ser

vice

for e

ntre

pren

eurs

thro

ugho

ut th

e en

terp

rise

lifec

ycle

fro

m s

tart-

up th

roug

h to

up-

scal

ing,

exp

ansi

on a

nd g

rowt

h.

Parti

cula

r em

phas

is w

ill b

e pl

aced

on

acce

lera

ting

the

grow

th o

f hig

h po

tent

ial s

tart-

ups

and

busi

ness

es w

ith jo

b cr

eatio

n po

tent

ial.

LEO

Kilk

enny

; Ban

ks;

Acco

unta

nts

2016

-201

7Gr

eate

r Aw

aren

ess

and

Enha

nced

Se

rvic

e es

tabl

ishe

d.

Actio

n 2.

2: D

evel

op p

artn

ersh

ips

with

all

front

line

acce

ss p

oint

s fo

r bus

ines

s, in

clud

ing

bank

s an

d ac

coun

tant

s, to

ens

ure

ther

e is

m

axim

um a

ware

ness

of t

he s

uppo

rts a

vaila

ble

to e

ntre

pren

eurs

, in

parti

cula

r fro

m th

e LE

O.

LEO

Kilk

enny

; CKL

P; D

SP20

16-2

017

Supp

ort

initi

ativ

es.

Actio

n 2.

3: D

evel

op s

uppo

rt in

itiat

ives

to ta

rget

Bac

k-to

-Wor

k En

terp

rise

Allo

wanc

e pa

rtici

pant

s.

LEO

Kilk

enny

; Kilk

enny

Ch

ambe

r of C

omm

erce

; Bu

sine

ss N

etwo

rks;

Loc

al

Indu

stry

2016

-201

7Pa

nel

esta

blis

hed.

Actio

n 2.

4: E

stab

lish

a pa

nel o

f loc

al b

usin

ess

lead

ers,

en

trepr

eneu

rs a

nd e

nter

pris

e ro

le m

odel

s th

at w

ill c

ham

pion

en

trepr

eneu

rshi

p an

d en

terp

rise

in C

ount

y Kilk

enny

.

LEO

Kilk

enny

; Kild

alto

n Co

llege

; Tea

gasc

2016

-202

1Es

tabl

ish

Even

t.Ac

tion

2.5:

Pro

mot

e en

terp

rise

and

inno

vatio

n op

portu

nitie

s am

ong

youn

g fa

rmer

s, in

con

junc

tion

with

Kild

alto

n Co

llege

. Thi

s sh

ould

in

clud

e ho

stin

g of

an

annu

al E

nter

pris

e ev

ent s

peci

fical

ly ai

med

at

youn

g fa

rmer

s an

d al

so e

xam

inat

ion

of th

e po

tent

ial o

f inc

orpo

ratin

g en

terp

rise

rela

ted

elem

ents

into

the

curri

culu

m o

f mai

nstre

am

cour

ses.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o Pl

anni

ng20

16-2

017

Agre

emen

t of

stra

tegy

.Ac

tion

2.6:

Agr

ee a

pha

sed

deve

lopm

ent s

trate

gy fo

r cap

italis

ing

on

the

pote

ntia

l of t

he B

rewe

ry S

ite a

s a

Crea

tive

Quar

ter,

the

deve

lopm

ent

of w

hich

is p

rovi

ded

for b

y the

Kilk

enny

City

Dev

elop

men

t Pla

n an

d th

e Ab

bey Q

uarte

r Mas

terp

lan,

with

par

ticul

ar e

mph

asis

on

3rd

and

4th

leve

l edu

catio

n pr

ovis

ion,

incu

batio

n an

d ad

vanc

e of

fice

spac

e,

inno

vatio

n an

d re

sear

ch. T

his

actio

n wi

ll in

clud

e in

vest

igat

ion

of

the

deve

lopm

ent o

f a “

Fab

Lab”

faci

lity,

to a

ssis

t bus

ines

s de

velo

p in

nova

tive

and

crea

tive

idea

s.

The

crea

tion

of a

n at

tract

ive

and

dyna

mic

bu

sine

ss e

nviro

nmen

t th

at c

ater

s fo

r the

ne

eds

of b

oth

exis

ting

and

new

empl

oyer

s an

d em

ploy

ees.

94

Kilk

enny

Loc

al E

cono

mic

and

Com

mun

ity P

lan

tabl

e 2

– go

al 2

: Fac

ilita

te in

nova

tion

and

Entr

epre

neur

ship

high

-Lev

el g

oal

high

-Lev

el o

utco

me

obje

ctiv

eke

y Pa

rtne

r org

anis

atio

nstim

efra

me

Proj

ect

Mile

ston

esac

tions

G2: F

acili

tate

In

nova

tion

and

trepr

eneu

rshi

p

O2: P

rovi

de a

n in

tegr

ated

sup

port

stru

ctur

e co

nduc

ive

to e

nter

pris

e st

art-

up

and

grow

th.

LEO

Kilk

enny

; EI

2016

-202

1En

hanc

ed

serv

ice

esta

blis

hed.

Actio

n 2.

1: P

rovi

de a

sea

mle

ss in

form

atio

n, a

dvic

e an

d tra

inin

g su

ppor

t ser

vice

for e

ntre

pren

eurs

thro

ugho

ut th

e en

terp

rise

lifec

ycle

fro

m s

tart-

up th

roug

h to

up-

scal

ing,

exp

ansi

on a

nd g

rowt

h.

Parti

cula

r em

phas

is w

ill b

e pl

aced

on

acce

lera

ting

the

grow

th o

f hig

h po

tent

ial s

tart-

ups

and

busi

ness

es w

ith jo

b cr

eatio

n po

tent

ial.

LEO

Kilk

enny

; Ban

ks;

Acco

unta

nts

2016

-201

7Gr

eate

r Aw

aren

ess

and

Enha

nced

Se

rvic

e es

tabl

ishe

d.

Actio

n 2.

2: D

evel

op p

artn

ersh

ips

with

all

front

line

acce

ss p

oint

s fo

r bus

ines

s, in

clud

ing

bank

s an

d ac

coun

tant

s, to

ens

ure

ther

e is

m

axim

um a

ware

ness

of t

he s

uppo

rts a

vaila

ble

to e

ntre

pren

eurs

, in

parti

cula

r fro

m th

e LE

O.

LEO

Kilk

enny

; CKL

P; D

SP20

16-2

017

Supp

ort

initi

ativ

es.

Actio

n 2.

3: D

evel

op s

uppo

rt in

itiat

ives

to ta

rget

Bac

k-to

-Wor

k En

terp

rise

Allo

wanc

e pa

rtici

pant

s.

LEO

Kilk

enny

; Kilk

enny

Ch

ambe

r of C

omm

erce

; Bu

sine

ss N

etwo

rks;

Loc

al

Indu

stry

2016

-201

7Pa

nel

esta

blis

hed.

Actio

n 2.

4: E

stab

lish

a pa

nel o

f loc

al b

usin

ess

lead

ers,

en

trepr

eneu

rs a

nd e

nter

pris

e ro

le m

odel

s th

at w

ill c

ham

pion

en

trepr

eneu

rshi

p an

d en

terp

rise

in C

ount

y Kilk

enny

.

LEO

Kilk

enny

; Kild

alto

n Co

llege

; Tea

gasc

2016

-202

1Es

tabl

ish

Even

t.Ac

tion

2.5:

Pro

mot

e en

terp

rise

and

inno

vatio

n op

portu

nitie

s am

ong

youn

g fa

rmer

s, in

con

junc

tion

with

Kild

alto

n Co

llege

. Thi

s sh

ould

in

clud

e ho

stin

g of

an

annu

al E

nter

pris

e ev

ent s

peci

fical

ly ai

med

at

youn

g fa

rmer

s an

d al

so e

xam

inat

ion

of th

e po

tent

ial o

f inc

orpo

ratin

g en

terp

rise

rela

ted

elem

ents

into

the

curri

culu

m o

f mai

nstre

am

cour

ses.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o Pl

anni

ng20

16-2

017

Agre

emen

t of

stra

tegy

.Ac

tion

2.6:

Agr

ee a

pha

sed

deve

lopm

ent s

trate

gy fo

r cap

italis

ing

on

the

pote

ntia

l of t

he B

rewe

ry S

ite a

s a

Crea

tive

Quar

ter,

the

deve

lopm

ent

of w

hich

is p

rovi

ded

for b

y the

Kilk

enny

City

Dev

elop

men

t Pla

n an

d th

e Ab

bey Q

uarte

r Mas

terp

lan,

with

par

ticul

ar e

mph

asis

on

3rd

and

4th

leve

l edu

catio

n pr

ovis

ion,

incu

batio

n an

d ad

vanc

e of

fice

spac

e,

inno

vatio

n an

d re

sear

ch. T

his

actio

n wi

ll in

clud

e in

vest

igat

ion

of

the

deve

lopm

ent o

f a “

Fab

Lab”

faci

lity,

to a

ssis

t bus

ines

s de

velo

p in

nova

tive

and

crea

tive

idea

s.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; 3

rd L

evel

In

stitu

tes

2016

-201

9Pu

blic

atio

n of

st

rate

gy.

Actio

n 2.

7: D

evel

op a

stra

tegy

to p

rom

ote

and

furth

er e

xpan

d Di

gita

l M

edia

, Ani

mat

ion

and

Desi

gn a

ctiv

ities

in C

ount

y Kilk

enny

, bui

ldin

g on

the

past

exp

erie

nce

of th

e Ki

lken

ny D

esig

n W

orks

hops

. The

stra

tegy

sh

ould

incl

ude

a ‘D

esig

n Th

inki

ng’ i

nitia

tive

to d

eliv

er e

nter

pris

e sk

ills

to yo

ung

peop

le

Kilk

enny

CoC

o Co

mm

unity

; CK

LP20

16-2

017

Publ

icat

ion

of

stra

tegy

.Ac

tion

2.8:

Dev

elop

a s

ocia

l ent

erpr

ise

stra

tegy

faci

litat

ing

acce

ss

to a

rang

e of

soc

ial e

nter

pris

e su

ppor

ts a

nd s

ervi

ces

and

lear

ning

th

roug

h ot

her m

odel

s of

suc

cess

. Thi

s wi

ll in

clud

e bu

ildin

g on

the

expe

rienc

e of

the

REDZ

initi

ativ

e; a

nd d

esig

ning

sup

port

stru

ctur

es

tailo

red

to s

uit b

oth

urba

n an

d ru

rally

bas

ed s

ocia

l ent

erpr

ise

initi

ativ

es, c

reat

ing

jobs

and

pro

vidi

ng p

oten

tial s

ervi

ces

into

loca

l co

mm

uniti

es. T

his

shou

ld a

lso

incl

ude

an e

xam

inat

ion

of c

o-op

type

co

mm

unity

sho

ps s

ellin

g lo

cal p

rodu

ce in

rura

l vill

ages

.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; E

I20

16-2

021

Phas

ed

publ

icat

ion

of

audi

t.

Actio

n 2.

9: U

nder

take

an

audi

t of i

ndus

trial

and

incu

batio

n wo

rksp

ace

thro

ugho

ut th

e Co

unty

and

ass

ess

gaps

and

/or n

eed

for

addi

tiona

l spa

ce s

o as

to b

ette

r inf

orm

the

mar

ket a

nd h

ighl

ight

zo

ned

and

serv

iced

land

s in

the

Coun

ty. T

his

actio

n wi

ll al

so in

clud

e an

aud

it an

d as

sess

men

t of v

acan

t and

und

erut

ilise

d la

nds

and

stru

ctur

es, t

he d

evel

opm

ent a

nd u

se o

f whi

ch c

an b

e us

ed f

or

the

prom

otio

n of

eco

nom

ic d

evel

opm

ent i

n ac

cord

ance

with

the

prov

isio

ns o

f the

app

licab

le d

evel

opm

ent p

lan.

tabl

e 3

– go

al 3

: Enh

ance

the

visi

tor E

xper

ienc

e

high

-Lev

el g

oal

high

-Lev

el o

utco

me

obje

ctiv

eke

y Pa

rtne

r org

anis

atio

nstim

efra

me

Proj

ect

Mile

ston

esac

tions

G3: V

isito

r Ex

perie

nce

Enha

ncem

ent

O3: S

uppo

rt, c

o-or

dina

te a

nd o

ptim

ise

the

visi

tor e

xper

ienc

e po

tent

ial.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; F

ailte

Ire

land

; CKL

P; K

ilken

ny

Tour

ism

2016

-201

7An

alys

is

Com

plet

ed a

nd

Actio

n pl

an

agre

ed, l

ocal

ly an

d re

gion

ally

focu

sed.

Actio

n 3.

1: U

nder

take

an

anal

ysis

of b

usin

ess

tour

ism

pot

entia

l in

Coun

ty K

ilken

ny w

ith re

fere

nce

to c

onfe

renc

es, b

usin

ess

and

maj

or

tour

ism

ent

ry p

oint

s (s

uch

as R

ossl

are

Port

and

Wat

erfo

rd R

egio

nal

Airp

ort),

mar

ketin

g an

d PR

and

Irel

and’

s An

cien

t Eas

t cam

paig

n. T

his

actio

n wi

ll cl

osel

y lin

k wi

th o

ther

regi

onal

ly-fo

cuse

d ac

tions

.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; F

ailte

Ire

land

; CKL

P; K

ilken

ny

Tour

ism

; Out

door

act

ivity

pr

ovid

ers

2016

-202

1Ac

tion

plan

ag

reed

.Ac

tion

3.2:

Impr

ove

the

visi

tor e

xper

ienc

e an

d bu

sine

ss c

apab

ility

of

out

door

act

ivity

pro

vide

rs a

ctiv

e in

tour

ism

. Ini

tiativ

es to

incl

ude

anal

ysis

of t

he p

oten

tial f

or: l

inki

ng a

ctiv

ity h

ubs

and

amen

ities

; pr

otec

tion

and

man

agem

ent o

f the

cou

nty’s

Gre

en In

frast

ruct

ure

and

the

deve

lopm

ent o

f the

Cou

nty’s

rive

r ass

ets

for fi

shin

g, b

oatin

g an

d bl

uewa

y tra

ils. T

his

will

incl

ude

enga

ging

with

the

Irela

nd's

Anc

ient

Ea

st te

am to

iden

tify o

ppor

tuni

ties

with

the

high

est p

oten

tial.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; C

KLP;

Fai

lte

Irela

nd; K

ilken

ny To

uris

m20

16-2

017

Asse

t map

ping

co

mpl

ete.

Stra

tegy

es

tabl

ishe

d.

Actio

n 3.

3: U

nder

take

an

Asse

t Map

ping

exe

rcis

e ac

ross

the

coun

ty to

de

velo

p: a

rea

base

d sp

ecifi

c to

uris

m s

trate

gies

. Thi

s wi

ll al

so in

clud

e in

itiat

ives

focu

sed

on d

eliv

erin

g a

qual

ity in

tern

atio

nal t

ouris

m

expe

rienc

e ar

ound

the

Irela

nd A

ncie

nt E

ast B

rand

. In

parti

cula

r, th

e po

tent

ial t

o de

velo

p in

tern

atio

nal “

stan

d-ou

t” p

rodu

cts

base

d on

Ki

lken

ny’s

com

para

tive

adva

ntag

e in

bui

lt an

d cu

ltura

l her

itage

. Th

is

actio

n wi

ll in

clud

e th

e de

velo

pmen

t of t

he M

edie

val M

ile M

useu

m a

s a

pote

ntia

l ‘he

ro s

ite’ w

ithin

Irel

and’

s An

cien

t Eas

t, an

d id

entif

ying

the

oppo

rtuni

ties

to le

vera

ge th

e th

emes

and

sto

ries

whic

h wi

ll wo

rk b

est

to b

ring

Kilk

enny

to a

n in

tern

atio

nal a

udie

nce.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; C

KLP;

Fai

lte

Irela

nd; K

ilken

ny To

uris

m;

Herit

age

Coun

cil

2016

-201

7Ph

ased

Act

ion

Plan

agr

eed.

Actio

n 3.

5: C

ontin

ue d

evel

opm

ent o

f the

‘Med

ieva

l Mile

' and

dev

elop

an

act

ion

plan

that

link

s co

mpl

emen

tary

vis

itor a

ttrac

tions

acr

oss

the

coun

ty a

imed

at p

rolo

ngin

g an

d en

hanc

ing

the

visi

tor e

xper

ienc

e. T

his

will

be a

crit

ical

ele

men

t of K

ilken

ny's

offe

ring

with

in Ir

elan

d's

Anci

ent

East

. Cro

ss p

rom

otio

n of

nea

rby a

ttrac

tions

will

be

impo

rtant

in th

e su

cces

s of

enc

oura

ging

vis

itors

to s

pend

mor

e tim

e in

the

regi

on

rath

er th

an u

sing

it a

s a

trans

it zo

ne.

The

goal

will

en

cour

age

the

spre

ad

of th

e se

ctor

al im

pact

ac

ross

the

coun

ty

beyo

nd th

e es

tabl

ishe

d ho

ney-

pots

.

It wi

ll al

so a

ttrac

t FDI

an

d bu

sine

ss s

tart-

ups

in th

e co

unty

by

rein

forc

ing

a po

sitiv

e im

age

enco

mpa

ssin

g hi

stor

y, cu

lture

and

th

e na

tura

l and

bui

lt en

viro

nmen

t.

96

Kilk

enny

Loc

al E

cono

mic

and

Com

mun

ity P

lan

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; C

KLP;

Fai

lte

Irela

nd; K

ilken

ny To

uris

m;

Herit

age

Coun

cil;

Conn

ect

Irela

nd; I

DA

2016

-202

1St

rate

gic

Plan

ag

reed

.Ac

tion

3.6:

Des

ign

a co

unty

mar

ketin

g an

d co

mm

unic

atio

ns s

trate

gy

to in

clud

e ac

tiviti

es a

roun

d th

e de

sign

and

dis

tribu

tion

of m

arke

ting

mat

eria

ls, c

lust

er in

itiat

ives

, his

toric

al, a

nd h

erita

ge in

terp

reta

tion

sign

s an

d cu

ltura

l inf

orm

atio

n si

gns.

Thi

s ac

tion

is a

imed

at

incr

easi

ng v

isito

r num

bers

, sus

tain

ing

the

qual

ity o

f the

vis

itor

expe

rienc

e an

d pr

olon

ging

the

visi

tor's

sta

y in

the

coun

ty. T

his

actio

n wi

ll al

so in

clud

e m

axim

isin

g th

e po

tent

ial o

f dig

ital m

arke

ting,

and

us

e of

tour

ism

app

s, v

ideo

pro

mot

ion

and

soci

al m

edia

.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; C

KLP;

Fai

lte

Irela

nd; K

ilken

ny To

uris

m;

Loca

l Fes

tival

Org

anis

ers

Stra

tegi

c Pl

an

agre

edAc

tion

3.7:

Dev

elop

a s

trate

gy fo

r Fes

tival

s as

an

econ

omic

dr

iver

, bui

ldin

g on

the

very

suc

cess

ful r

ange

of e

xistin

g fe

stiv

als

prog

ram

med

thro

ugho

ut th

e ye

ar in

Cou

nty K

ilken

ny.

tabl

e 4

– go

al 4

: Enh

ance

d Ed

ucat

iona

l atta

inm

ent a

nd S

kills

dev

elop

men

t

high

-Lev

el g

oal

high

-Lev

el o

utco

me

obje

ctiv

eke

y Pa

rtne

r or

gani

satio

nstim

efra

me

Proj

ect

Mile

ston

esac

tions

G4: E

nhan

ced

Educ

atio

nal

Atta

inm

ent

and

Skill

s De

velo

pmen

t

O4: E

ncou

rage

and

su

ppor

t ups

killi

ng,

job

mob

ility

and

en

terp

rise

crea

tion

and

man

agem

ent

LEO

Kilk

enny

; EI;

Busi

ness

Ne

twor

ks; S

killn

ets;

3rd

le

vel i

nstit

utes

2016

-202

1Ke

y sec

tors

id

entifi

ed,

anal

ysis

of

nee

ds

unde

rtake

n an

d tra

inin

g st

rate

gy a

gree

d (o

ngoi

ng).

Actio

n 4.

1: Id

entif

y key

sec

tora

l nee

ds in

term

s of

man

agem

ent a

nd

busi

ness

dev

elop

men

t and

co-

ordi

nate

trai

ning

act

iviti

es in

resp

onse

to

sec

tora

l nee

ds.

LEO

Kilk

enny

; ETB

; Kilk

enny

Ch

ambe

r of c

omm

erce

; Sk

illne

ts; 3

rd le

vel

inst

itutio

ns; T

eaga

sc

2016

-202

1Fo

rum

es

tabl

ishe

d.

Actio

n pl

an

agre

ed.

Actio

n 4.

2: E

stab

lish

a lo

cal E

nter

pris

e Tr

aini

ng a

nd E

duca

tion

Foru

m to

ens

ure

co-o

rdin

ated

del

iver

y of e

nter

pris

e tra

inin

g an

d m

anag

emen

t dev

elop

men

t sup

ports

to s

mal

l bus

ines

s ow

ners

and

en

trepr

eneu

rs in

the

Coun

ty. T

his

will

com

plem

ent t

he w

ork

of th

e So

uth

East

Reg

iona

l Ski

lls F

orum

, whi

ch h

as b

een

esta

blis

hed

to

prom

ote

clos

er li

aiso

n be

twee

n em

ploy

ers

and

the

educ

atio

n se

ctor

in

the

regi

on, i

nclu

ding

stre

ngth

ened

indu

stry

liai

son

func

tions

gen

eral

ly an

d de

velo

ping

stru

ctur

ed p

rogr

amm

es o

f awa

rene

ss ra

isin

g of

the

capa

bilit

ies

and

asse

ts a

vaila

ble

to e

nter

pris

es in

the

regi

on.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; C

KLP;

Fai

lte

Irela

nd; K

ilken

ny To

uris

m;

Herit

age

Coun

cil

2016

-202

1Co

llect

ive

enga

gem

ent o

f ke

y pla

yers

.

Actio

n pl

an

agre

ed.

No. o

f ini

tiativ

es

deliv

ered

.

Actio

n 4.

3: P

rom

ote

grea

ter a

ware

ness

of t

he to

uris

m p

rodu

ct/

offe

ring

acro

ss th

e Co

unty

(thr

ough

initi

ativ

es s

uch

as “

Know

You

r Ow

n Co

unty

” Ca

mpa

ign)

; dev

elop

tour

ism

am

bass

ador

s fo

r the

Co

unty

; and

hig

hlig

ht p

oten

tial c

aree

r opp

ortu

nitie

s wi

thin

the

tour

ism

sec

tor.

This

will

als

o in

clud

e de

liver

y of L

ocal

Tour

Gui

de

Trai

ning

Pro

gram

mes

to u

pski

ll se

rvic

e pr

ovid

ers,

to in

crea

se

know

ledg

e an

d co

-ord

inat

ion

of e

xistin

g an

d ne

w vi

sito

r attr

actio

ns,

and

to e

ncou

rage

clu

ster

mar

ketin

g an

d co

llect

ive

initi

ativ

es.

Inno

vativ

e En

terp

rise

Liai

son

Stra

tegi

es

betw

een

the

ETB

and

sect

oral

bus

ines

s ne

twor

ks w

ill b

e us

ed

to a

ccel

erat

e se

ctor

al

netw

orki

ng, a

nd th

e ex

istin

g m

arke

ting

inte

rven

tions

and

su

ppor

ts p

rovi

ded

by K

ilken

ny L

EO.

Addi

tiona

lly, i

t will

en

cour

age

incr

ease

d re

sear

ch a

nd

deve

lopm

ent a

ctiv

ity

on th

e in

terfa

ce o

f 3rd

and

4th L

evel

ac

adem

ic fa

cilit

ies

and

loca

l ent

erpr

ise.

98

Kilk

enny

Loc

al E

cono

mic

and

Com

mun

ity P

lan

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; 3

rd le

vel

Inst

itute

s; K

ilken

ny a

nd

Carlo

w ET

B; K

ilken

ny

Cham

ber o

f Com

mer

ce

2016

-202

1As

sess

men

t of

nee

ds/

oppo

rtuni

ties.

No. o

f ini

tiativ

es.

Enga

gem

ent o

f ke

y pla

yers

.

Actio

n 4.

4: U

nder

take

to a

scer

tain

pot

entia

l job

opp

ortu

nitie

s in

Ki

lken

ny a

nd a

sses

s sk

ills

requ

irem

ents

and

qua

lifica

tions

. Res

pond

th

roug

h ed

ucat

ion

and

train

ing

initi

ativ

es w

orki

ng c

lose

ly wi

th

busi

ness

com

mun

ity, K

ilken

ny a

nd C

arlo

w Ed

ucat

ion

and

Trai

ning

Bo

ard

and

3rd

Leve

l sec

tors

. Thi

s ac

tion

will

incl

ude

the

pote

ntia

l of

trai

ning

acr

oss

a br

oad

spec

trum

from

trad

ition

al b

uild

ing

skill

s to

dig

ital m

edia

/film

pro

duct

ion

and

will

also

invo

lve

proa

ctiv

ely

enga

ging

with

third

leve

l ins

titut

es to

furth

er e

nhan

ce a

nd d

evel

op

3rd

and

4th

leve

l edu

catio

n pr

ovis

ion,

bas

ed o

n Ki

lken

ny’s

stre

ngth

s an

d em

ergi

ng o

ppor

tuni

ties.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; K

ilken

ny

and

Carlo

w ET

B; K

ilken

ny

Child

care

Com

mitt

ee

2016

-202

1No

. of i

nitia

tives

id

entifi

edAc

tion

4.5:

Con

tinue

to w

ork

in p

artn

ersh

ip w

ith th

e Ki

lken

ny

and

Carlo

w Ed

ucat

ion

and

Trai

ning

Boa

rd a

nd C

ount

y Chi

ldca

re

Com

mitt

ee to

pro

vide

trai

ning

and

loca

lly b

ased

mat

eria

ls to

teac

hers

an

d ch

ildca

re p

rovi

ders

on

aspe

cts

of K

ilken

ny’s

built

, nat

ural

and

cu

ltura

l her

itage

.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; 3

rd L

evel

In

stitu

tes

2016

-202

1Su

ppor

t St

ruct

ure

agre

ed.

Actio

n 4.

6: S

uppo

rt th

e es

tabl

ishm

ent o

f the

pro

pose

d Te

chno

logi

cal

Univ

ersi

ty o

f the

Sou

th E

ast.

tabl

e 5

– go

al 5

: dev

elop

the

rura

l Eco

nom

y

high

-Lev

el g

oal

high

-Lev

el o

utco

me

obje

ctiv

eke

y Pa

rtne

r or

gani

satio

nstim

efra

me

Proj

ect

Mile

ston

esac

tions

G5: R

ural

Ec

onom

y De

velo

pmen

t

Focu

s on

rura

l are

as

that

are

in d

eclin

e to

in

crea

se th

e le

vel o

f ec

onom

ic a

ctiv

ity a

nd

build

sus

tain

abili

ty.

O5: I

ncre

ase

econ

omic

ac

tivity

and

bui

ld

sust

aina

bilit

y int

o th

e ru

ral e

cono

my.

LCDC

2015

-201

6Pu

blic

atio

n of

LD

S St

rate

gy.27

Ac

tion

5.1:

Pre

pare

and

impl

emen

t a L

ocal

Dev

elop

men

t Stra

tegy

for

the

next

LEA

DER

Rura

l Dev

elop

men

t Pro

gram

me.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; C

KLP;

Ki

lken

ny C

ham

ber o

f Co

mm

erce

2016

-202

1No

. of a

rea

deve

lopm

ent

plan

s pr

oduc

ed.

Enga

gem

ent o

f cr

oss

sect

ion

of

com

mun

ities

.

Actio

n 5.

2: W

ork

with

loca

l bus

ines

ses

and

repr

esen

tativ

e or

gani

satio

ns to

sup

port

the

rege

nera

tion/

deve

lopm

ent o

f rur

al to

wns

and

area

s by

dev

elop

ing

a st

rate

gic

deve

lopm

ent p

lan

for k

ey to

wns

in e

ach

Mun

icip

al D

istri

ct (i

ncor

pora

ting

soci

al a

nd c

omm

unity

de

velo

pmen

t asp

ects

, her

itage

led

rege

nera

tion

and

hint

erla

nd

asso

ciat

ions

). Th

ese

will

incl

ude

prop

osal

s to

enh

ance

the

cons

umer

ex

perie

nce

and

attra

ctiv

enes

s of

town

cen

tres

and

villa

ges

for

shop

ping

and

vis

iting

. Rur

al to

wns

and

villa

ges

in p

artic

ular

can

co

ntrib

ute

to th

e to

uris

m o

fferin

g, a

s th

ey a

re h

ome

to m

any h

idde

n ge

ms,

enc

oura

ging

vis

itors

to g

et o

ff th

e be

aten

trac

k an

d di

scov

er

thes

e ar

eas.

LEO

Kilk

enny

; CKL

P;

Teag

asc;

EI

2016

-202

1No

. of i

nitia

tives

su

ppor

ted.

Actio

n 5.

3: S

uppo

rt th

e de

velo

pmen

t of r

ural

ent

erpr

ise

and

dive

rsifi

catio

n in

itiat

ives

. Thi

s ac

tion

will

incl

ude

expl

orin

g ru

ral

deve

lopm

ent o

ppor

tuni

ties

in p

artic

ular

rene

wabl

e en

ergy

and

gre

en

tech

nolo

gy.

CKLP

; Tea

gasc

; Kild

alto

n Co

llege

; Bor

d Bi

a20

16-2

021

Esta

blis

hmen

t of

netw

ork.

Actio

n pl

an

agre

ed.

No o

f job

s cr

eate

d.

Actio

n 5.

4: S

uppo

rt th

e de

velo

pmen

t of a

n ag

ri-fo

od-s

cien

ce n

etwo

rk

and

iden

tify a

nd s

uppo

rt em

ploy

men

t cre

atio

n po

tent

ial.10

0K

ilken

ny L

ocal

Eco

nom

ic a

nd C

omm

unity

Pla

n

tabl

e 6

– go

al 6

: im

prov

e ac

cess

and

Com

mun

icat

ions

infr

astr

uctu

re

G6: A

cces

s an

d Co

mm

unic

atio

ns

Infra

stru

ctur

e

A m

ore

sust

aina

ble

publ

ic tr

ansp

ort

syst

em w

ill le

ad to

a

bette

r qua

lity-

of-li

fe, e

cono

mic

co

mpe

titiv

enes

s,

grea

ter s

ocia

l in

clus

ion

and

a he

alth

ier p

opul

atio

n.

The

impr

ovem

ent

of th

e qu

ality

of

broa

dban

d se

rvic

es

acro

ss th

e co

unty.

O6: E

ncou

rage

in

tegr

ated

tran

spor

t sy

stem

s th

roug

h th

e us

e of

exis

ting

and

new

infra

stru

ctur

e in

nova

tion.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; ID

A; P

ort o

f W

ater

ford

Com

pany

2016

-202

1Ag

reed

pha

sed

deve

lopm

ent

plan

.

Actio

n 6.

1: M

axim

ise

the

pote

ntia

l of t

he B

elvi

ew P

ort i

ndus

trial

zone

in

term

s of

infra

stru

ctur

e an

d jo

b cr

eatio

n op

portu

nitie

s.28

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; C

KLP;

Fai

lte

Irela

nd; N

PWS

2016

-201

7Pu

blic

atio

n of

st

rate

gy.

Actio

n 6.

2: D

evel

op a

wal

king

, cyc

ling

and

wate

rway

s tra

il st

rate

gy to

in

clud

e th

e po

tent

ial o

f ent

erpr

ise

rela

ted

activ

ities

and

job

crea

tion

pote

ntia

l and

link

ed to

tour

ism

act

ions

.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; K

ilken

ny

Tour

ism

; Rur

al Tr

ansp

ort

Netw

ork

2016

-202

1Id

entifi

catio

n an

d co

mpl

etio

n of

key

initi

ativ

es.

Actio

n 6.

3: S

uppo

rt th

e de

velo

pmen

t of a

link

ed C

ount

y and

City

in

tegr

ated

tran

spor

t ser

vice

. Th

is w

ill in

clud

e su

ppor

ting

the

furth

er

deve

lopm

ent o

f rur

al tr

ansp

ort i

nitia

tives

suc

h as

Rin

galin

k. T

his

actio

n wi

ll al

so fo

cus

on s

peci

fic a

ctio

ns fo

r sus

tain

able

trav

el to

ad

dres

s th

e hi

gh le

vel o

f com

mut

ing

from

Kilk

enny

to W

ater

ford

.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; C

KLP

2016

-201

7Ne

eds

anal

ysis

co

mpl

eted

.

Actio

n pl

an

agre

ed a

nd

prog

ress

ed.

Actio

n 6.

4: U

nder

take

a B

road

band

Nee

ds A

nalys

is a

nd fa

cilit

ate

the

rollo

ut o

f hig

h sp

eed

broa

dban

d ac

ross

the

coun

ty, in

par

ticul

ar

in ru

ral a

reas

. Thi

s ac

tion

will

incl

ude

supp

ortin

g sm

all-s

cale

pilo

t pr

ojec

ts a

nd lo

cal p

rovi

ders

to e

nhan

ce th

eir n

etwo

rks

and

incl

ude

mor

e ru

ral h

ouse

hold

s an

d bu

sine

sses

in a

cces

sing

bro

adba

nd.

27

It sh

ould

be

note

d th

at tw

o co

mpe

ting

bids

will

be

subm

itted

in r

espe

ct o

f Cou

nty

Kilk

enny

for

the

deliv

ery

of th

e ne

xt L

EAD

ER R

ural

Dev

elop

men

t Pro

gram

me.

Dep

endi

ng o

n th

e ou

tcom

e of

that

com

petit

ive

proc

ess,

it m

ay b

e ne

cess

ary

to r

evie

w th

e ac

tions

con

tain

ed in

the

LEC

P (

i.e. t

he a

ctio

ns

that

will

be

reso

urce

d by

the

LEA

DER

Pro

gram

me

and/

or C

KLP

.)

28

Dev

elop

men

t with

in th

e B

elvi

ew a

rea

is r

equi

red

to c

onfo

rm w

ith th

e pr

ovis

ions

of t

he K

ilken

ny C

ount

y D

evel

opm

ent P

lan

and

the

Ferr

yban

k-B

elvi

ew L

ocal

Are

a P

lan.

tabl

e 7

– go

al 7

: Lea

ders

hip

and

Loca

l Cap

acity

high

-Lev

el g

oal

high

-Lev

el o

utco

me

obje

ctiv

eke

y Pa

rtne

r or

gani

satio

nstim

efra

me

Proj

ect

Mile

ston

esac

tions

G7: L

eade

rshi

p an

d Lo

cal

Capa

city

Optim

isat

ion

of

the

role

of t

he

Coun

ty C

ounc

il to

pr

iorit

ise

econ

omic

de

velo

pmen

t.

A nu

mbe

r of t

ools

will

be

use

d fo

cuss

ing

on th

e de

velo

pmen

t of

sm

arte

r sec

tora

l an

d lo

cal n

etwo

rkin

g fo

rum

s wi

thin

the

busi

ness

com

mun

ity.

O8: D

evel

op

lead

ersh

ip c

apac

ity in

pr

omot

ing

econ

omic

an

d in

tegr

ated

de

velo

pmen

t.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o 20

16-2

021

Annu

al

prio

ritis

atio

n of

key

act

ions

wi

thin

LEC

P.

Revi

ew o

f pr

ogre

ss.

Actio

n 7.

1: W

ork

clos

ely w

ith th

e pr

ivat

e se

ctor

in d

evel

opin

g a

coun

ty

leve

l app

roac

h to

ens

ure

that

offi

ce a

nd in

dust

rial d

evel

opm

ents

can

co

me

on s

tream

qui

ckly.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o20

16-2

021

Setti

ng a

nd

achi

evem

ent o

f ta

rget

s.

Cros

s-de

partm

enta

l co

llabo

ratio

n.

Actio

n 7.

2: E

nsur

e th

at is

the

revi

sion

of t

he C

ore

Stra

tegy

(and

su

bseq

uent

Dev

elop

men

t Pla

ns) t

hat s

uffic

ient

land

for r

esid

entia

l de

velo

pmen

t, in

dust

rial d

evel

opm

ent a

nd in

frast

ruct

ure

is p

rovi

ded

cons

iste

nt w

ith th

e re

gion

al p

opul

atio

n ta

rget

s. T

he d

esig

natio

n of

zo

ned

land

is u

nder

take

n by

land

use

pla

ns, a

nd m

ust c

ompl

y with

hi

gher

leve

l pla

nnin

g ob

ject

ives

and

is in

form

ed b

y SEA

and

AA

proc

esse

s as

app

ropr

iate

.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; L

EO

Kilk

enny

; IDA

; EI

2015

-202

1En

gage

men

t of

agen

cies

.

No. o

f act

ions

pr

ogre

ssed

and

co

mpl

eted

.

No. o

f int

egra

ted

actio

ns

prog

ress

ed.

Actio

n 7.

3: E

stab

lish

an in

ter-a

genc

y wor

king

gro

up to

ens

ure

stra

tegi

c an

d ef

ficie

nt s

uppo

rt of

LEC

P ac

tion

impl

emen

tatio

n.

10

3K

ilken

ny L

ocal

Eco

nom

ic a

nd C

omm

unity

Pla

n

NEE

TS (

EU p

rogr

amm

e te

rm)

refe

rrin

g to

You

ng P

eopl

e be

twee

n ag

e 15

-24

who

are

NO

T in

EM

PLO

YMEN

T, E

DU

CAT

ION

or

TRA

ININ

G S

ERVI

CES

.

tabl

e 8

– go

al 8

: nat

ural

, Cul

tura

l and

Bui

lt En

viro

nmen

t

high

-Lev

el g

oal

high

-Lev

el o

utco

me

obje

ctiv

eke

y Pa

rtne

r or

gani

satio

nstim

efra

me

Proj

ect

Mile

ston

esac

tions

G8: N

atur

al,

Cultu

ral a

nd B

uilt

Envi

ronm

ent

A de

eper

un

ders

tand

ing

of th

e na

tura

l, cu

ltura

l and

bu

ilt a

sset

s of

Cou

nty

Kilk

enny

. Th

is w

ill

help

to p

rote

ct th

e en

viro

nmen

t and

loca

l he

ritag

e.

O9: E

ncou

rage

and

su

ppor

t bio

dive

rsity

an

d th

e pr

otec

tion

and

enha

ncem

ent o

f loc

al

herit

age

and

cultu

re.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; H

erita

ge

Coun

cil;

Kilk

enny

Car

low

ETB;

Ski

llnet

s; F

ailte

Irel

and

2016

-201

9M

appi

ng

exer

cise

co

mpl

eted

.

Actio

n pl

an

agre

ed.

Enga

gem

ent o

f ag

enci

es.

No. o

f tra

inin

g In

itiat

ives

co

mpl

eted

.

No. o

f job

s cr

eate

d.

Actio

n 8.

1: U

nder

take

to id

entif

y, re

cord

and

map

the

natu

ral a

nd

cultu

ral a

sset

s wi

thin

the

coun

ty to

faci

litat

e th

eir p

rote

ctio

n an

d su

stai

nabl

e m

anag

emen

t whi

lst i

dent

ifyin

g ac

cess

to jo

b cr

eatio

n an

d sk

ills

deve

lopm

ent p

oten

tial.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; N

PWS;

IFA;

Tid

y Tow

ns; C

omm

unity

and

Re

side

nt’s

Grou

ps

2016

-201

9No

. of

biod

iver

sity

in

itiat

ives

co

mpl

eted

.

No. o

f in

divi

dual

s en

gage

d.

Actio

n 8.

2: S

uppo

rt co

mm

unity

-led

and

farm

bas

ed in

itiat

ives

to ra

ise

awar

enes

s ab

out a

nd c

onse

rve

biod

iver

sity

and

nat

ural

cap

ital.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; IB

EC;

EI; K

ilken

ny C

ham

ber

of C

omm

erce

; Sch

ools

; Co

mm

unity

and

Res

iden

t’s

Grou

ps

2016

-202

1No

. of

biod

iver

sity

in

itiat

ives

co

mpl

eted

.

No. o

f in

divi

dual

s en

gage

d.

Actio

n 8.

3: D

esig

n an

d im

plem

ent l

ocal

ly ba

sed

herit

age

awar

enes

s an

d ed

ucat

ion

initi

ativ

es w

ithin

indu

stry,

sch

ools

and

com

mun

ities

.

10

4K

ilken

ny L

ocal

Eco

nom

ic a

nd C

omm

unity

Pla

n

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; H

erita

ge

Coun

cil;

Failt

e Ire

land

; Ki

lken

ny To

uris

m; D

esig

n &

Craf

ts C

ounc

il of

Irel

and

2015

-202

1Ph

ased

de

velo

pmen

t pl

an a

gree

d an

d pr

ogre

ssed

.

Actio

n 8.

4: S

uppo

rt th

e de

velo

pmen

t of t

he A

bbey

Cre

ativ

e Qu

arte

r, th

e M

edie

val M

ile a

nd th

e 5

med

ieva

l wal

led

town

s (th

at a

re p

art o

f th

e Iri

sh W

alle

d To

wns

Netw

ork.

)

Loca

l com

mun

ities

of

pla

ce a

nd in

tere

st

will

be e

ncou

rage

d to

in

nova

tivel

y con

side

r th

e im

plem

enta

tion

of k

ey a

spec

ts o

f th

e gr

een

econ

omy

and

the

adop

tion

of

appr

opria

te a

ltern

ativ

e an

d sm

art e

nerg

y so

lutio

ns.

O10:

Sup

port

ener

gy

effic

ienc

y and

m

axim

ise

the

circ

ular

ec

onom

y pot

entia

l.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; K

ilken

ny

Cham

ber o

f Com

mer

ce;

CKLP

; LEO

Kilk

enny

; Car

low

Kilk

enny

Ene

rgy A

genc

y

2016

-202

1Ex

pans

ion

plan

ag

reed

.

No. o

f tra

inin

g in

itiat

ives

.

No. o

f bu

sine

sses

pa

rtici

patin

g.

No. o

f fol

low

on

actio

ns/c

hang

e in

pra

ctic

es.

Actio

n 8.

5: E

xpan

d th

e Be

tter E

nerg

y Com

mun

ities

Initi

ativ

e in

Ki

lken

ny to

pro

mot

e en

ergy

effi

cien

cy m

easu

res

and

prom

ote

cost

sa

ving

s th

roug

h en

ergy

effi

cien

cy p

rogr

amm

es a

nd tr

aini

ng fo

r the

lo

cal b

usin

ess

com

mun

ity. T

his

will

incl

ude

work

ing

with

the

Carlo

w Ki

lken

ny E

nerg

y Age

ncy t

o pr

omot

e en

ergy

effi

cien

cy b

est p

ract

ice.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; H

erita

ge

Coun

cil

2016

-202

1Ac

tion

Plan

ag

reed

.Ac

tion

8.6:

Max

imis

e th

e so

cio-

econ

omic

and

com

mun

ity b

enefi

ts o

f th

e co

unty

’s bu

ilt, n

atur

al a

nd c

ultu

ral h

erita

ge b

y res

ourc

ing

and

impl

emen

ting

the

Coun

ty K

ilken

ny H

erita

ge P

lan

and

the

Coun

ty

Kilk

enny

Bio

dive

rsity

Pla

n.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; C

KLP;

He

ritag

e Co

unci

l20

16-2

021

Ince

ntiv

e Sc

hem

e ag

reed

.Ac

tion

8.7:

Pro

vide

sup

port

for t

he c

omm

erci

al a

nd re

tail

sect

or o

n th

e re

tent

ion

and

mai

nten

ance

of h

erita

ge p

rem

ises

and

sho

pfro

nts.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; H

erita

ge

Coun

cil;

Failt

e Ire

land

; Ki

lken

ny To

uris

m; C

rafts

Co

unci

l of I

rela

nd

2016

-202

1Ac

tion

Plan

ag

reed

Actio

n 8.

8: E

nsur

e th

at th

e he

ritag

e of

Kilk

enny

, whi

ch c

ontri

bute

s to

its

USP,

is c

onse

rved

and

sus

tain

ably

man

aged

. Thi

s wi

ll in

clud

e in

vest

igat

ing

oppo

rtuni

ties

for K

ilken

ny’s

invo

lvem

ent i

n th

e na

tiona

l Hi

stor

ic To

wns

Initi

ativ

e (c

urre

ntly

bein

g pi

lote

d) a

nd s

uppo

rting

the

“Liv

ing

Citie

s In

itiat

ive”

and

sim

ilar s

chem

es.

tabl

e 9

– go

al 9

: reg

iona

l gro

wth

and

inte

rnat

iona

l Pot

entia

l

high

-Lev

el

goal

high

-Lev

el

outc

ome

obje

ctiv

eke

y Pa

rtne

r or

gani

satio

nstim

efra

me

Proj

ect M

ilest

ones

actio

ns

G9: R

egio

nal

Grow

th a

nd

Inte

rnat

iona

l Po

tent

ial

O11:

Con

tribu

te to

th

e gr

owth

of t

he

regi

on a

nd e

xpan

d in

tern

atio

nal r

each

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; R

A;

Neig

hbou

ring

loca

l Au

thor

ities

2016

-202

1No

. of f

ora

esta

blis

hed.

St

rate

gy a

gree

d an

d pr

ogre

ssed

Actio

n 9.

1: S

uppo

rt in

dust

ry-le

d fo

ra a

nd s

trate

gic

colla

bora

tions

at

regi

onal

leve

l, wi

th a

vie

w to

con

tribu

ting

to th

e ov

eral

l de

velo

pmen

t of t

he S

outh

Eas

t Reg

ion.

In p

artic

ular

, Kilk

enny

Co

unty

Cou

ncil

will

proa

ctiv

ely s

uppo

rt th

e im

plem

enta

tion

of

the

Sout

h Ea

st E

nter

pris

e Ac

tion

Plan

for J

obs.

Thi

s wi

ll in

clud

e co

llatin

g ba

selin

e da

ta to

con

tribu

te to

the

actio

ns in

the

Sout

h Ea

st A

ctio

n Pl

an fo

r Job

s.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; R

A;

Neig

hbou

ring

loca

l Au

thor

ities

2016

-202

1No

. of e

nter

pris

es

parti

cipa

ting.

Tak

e up

of

EU fu

ndin

g

Actio

n 9.

2: S

uppo

rt th

e pa

rtici

patio

n of

Kilk

enny

bas

ed e

nter

pris

es

in b

est p

ract

ice

even

ts a

cros

s th

e So

uth

East

Reg

ion,

incl

udin

g pa

rtici

patio

n in

EU

fund

ed p

rogr

amm

es a

nd in

itiat

ives

.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; W

IT; R

A;

Teag

asc

2016

-202

0Ph

ased

dev

elop

men

t pla

n ag

reed

. En

gage

men

t of

key p

laye

rs.

Cent

re o

f Ex

celle

nce

esta

blis

hed.

Actio

n 9.

3: F

urth

er a

dvan

ce th

e pr

opos

al fo

r a E

urop

ean

cent

re o

f ex

celle

nce

for I

CT in

Agr

icul

ture

in K

ilken

ny.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; W

IT;

Neig

hbou

ring

loca

l Au

thor

ities

2016

-202

1Ag

reem

ent a

nd p

rogr

essi

on

of s

trate

gy.

Actio

n 9.

4: P

artic

ipat

e in

the

eDIG

IREG

ION

Proj

ect a

nd a

ssis

t in

the

deve

lopm

ent o

f sm

art s

peci

alis

atio

n st

rate

gies

for t

he S

outh

Ea

st R

egio

n.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; R

A;

Neig

hbou

ring

loca

l Au

thor

ities

; Tea

gasc

2016

-201

7Ce

ntre

of E

xcel

lenc

e st

rate

gy a

gree

d an

d pr

ogre

ssed

.

Actio

n 9.

5: P

roac

tivel

y wor

k wi

th o

ther

loca

l aut

horit

ies

to p

rom

ote

the

regi

on a

nd a

dvan

ce re

gion

al o

ppor

tuni

ties,

incl

udin

g th

e im

plem

enta

tion

of th

e So

uth

East

Reg

ion

- Act

ion

Plan

for J

obs.

Th

is w

ill a

lso

incl

ude

colla

bora

ting

to d

evel

op th

e So

uth

East

as

an a

gri-t

ech

cent

re o

f exc

elle

nce.

The

deve

lopm

ent

of in

tern

atio

nal

linka

ges

resu

lting

in

pot

entia

l exp

ort

mar

ket a

cces

s fo

r lo

cal b

usin

ess.

Enab

le th

e co

unty

to

dev

elop

a

mor

e co

here

nt

and

succ

essf

ul

mec

hani

sm

for p

ursu

ing

addi

tiona

l fun

ding

an

d re

sour

ce

oppo

rtuni

ties.

10

6K

ilken

ny L

ocal

Eco

nom

ic a

nd C

omm

unity

Pla

n

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; R

A;

Neig

hbou

ring

loca

l Au

thor

ities

; EI;

IBEC

2016

-202

1No

. of b

usin

esse

s en

gage

d.

No. o

f job

s cr

eate

d.

No. o

f par

ticip

atin

g sc

hool

s.

Actio

n 9.

6: A

ssis

t in

the

deve

lopm

ent o

f a s

howc

ase

of th

e re

gion

's m

anuf

actu

ring

base

with

a d

ual f

ocus

on:

attr

actin

g yo

ung

peop

le to

car

eers

in m

anuf

actu

ring;

and

faci

litat

ing

man

ufac

turin

g co

mpa

nies

to p

rom

ote

mor

e ST

EM p

artic

ipat

ion

in

scho

ols.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; IB

EC;

Loca

l Ind

ustry

; 3rd

Leve

l Ins

titut

ions

; RA;

Ne

ighb

ourin

g lo

cal

Auth

oriti

es

2016

-202

1En

gage

men

t of k

ey p

laye

rs.

Stra

tegy

agr

eed

and

prog

ress

ed.

Actio

n 9.

7: E

xplo

it th

e po

tent

ial o

f con

verg

ence

opp

ortu

nitie

s in

the

Sout

h Ea

st, l

inki

ng li

fe-s

cien

ces

with

pha

rma/

med

ical

de

vice

s, e

ngin

eerin

g, IC

T, an

d Te

leco

ms.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; C

oillt

e;

RA; N

eigh

bour

ing

loca

l Au

thor

ities

2016

-202

1Re

port

prod

uced

.

Actio

ns p

rogr

esse

d.

Actio

n 9.

8: C

ontri

bute

to a

regi

onal

ass

essm

ent o

f the

eco

nom

ic

valu

e ad

ded

pote

ntia

l of t

he fo

rest

ry s

ecto

r.

Kilk

enny

CoC

o; F

ailte

Ire

land

; Kilk

enny

Tour

ism

; He

ritag

e Co

unci

l; De

sign

&

Craf

ts C

ounc

il of

Irel

and;

IB

EC; C

onne

ct Ir

elan

d;

Loca

l Ind

ustry

; Kilk

enny

Ch

ambe

r of C

omm

erce

; RA

; Nei

ghbo

urin

g lo

cal

Auth

oriti

es

2016

-202

1En

gage

men

t of i

ndus

try.

Stra

tegy

agr

eed.

Enga

gem

ent o

f tou

rism

st

akeh

olde

rs.

Incr

ease

in v

isito

r num

bers

.

Actio

n 9.

9: E

stab

lish

a pr

ogra

mm

e on

a re

gion

al le

vel f

or

larg

e em

ploy

ers

to c

olla

bora

te to

bra

nd th

e re

gion

as

a to

uris

t de

stin

atio

n.

CoM

Mun

ity

aCti

on P

Lan29

Eu 2

020

Prio

rity

5: F

ight

ing

PovE

rty

and

SoCi

aL E

XCLu

Sion

: at

LEaS

t 20

MiL

Lion

FEW

Er P

EoPL

E in

or

at r

iSk

oF P

ovEr

ty a

nd S

oCia

L EX

CLuS

ion

LECP

hig

h LE

vEL

goaL

10:

ddr

ESSi

ng a

rEa-

BaSE

d Po

vErt

y an

d di

Sadv

anta

gE

SuSt

aina

BLE

CoM

Mun

ity

oBJE

Ctiv

E 1:

iMPr

ovE

thE

dEPr

ivat

ion

indi

Cato

rS F

or t

hoSE

ELE

Ctor

aL d

iStr

iCtS

and

SM

aLL

arEa

S dE

Sign

atEd

‘diS

adva

ntag

Ed’ o

r ‘v

Ery

diSa

dvan

tagE

d’.

actio

nsou

tput

sPa

rtne

rs/L

ead*

timef

ram

e

SICA

P Go

al 1

: Eng

agem

ent o

f com

mun

ity/ta

rget

gro

ups

in d

isad

vant

aged

are

as:

Proa

ctiv

ely w

ork

with

at l

east

2

elec

tora

l ar

eas

of id

entifi

ed d

isad

vant

age

each

year

. Pro

vide

LCD

C wi

th a

n ar

ea

com

mun

ity d

evel

opm

ent p

lan

in re

latio

n to

eac

h.

CKLP

*, C

omm

unity

Or

gs20

16- 2

018

10.1

.1Pr

ovid

e su

ppor

t to

key c

omm

unity

gro

ups

to c

arry

out

loca

l nee

ds a

nalys

is. D

evel

op C

omm

unity

Dev

elop

men

t /S

ocio

-Eco

nom

ic S

trate

gic

Plan

s fo

r hig

h pr

iorit

y dis

adva

ntag

ed a

reas

: Fer

ryba

nk, C

astle

com

er, U

rling

ford

, Fr

eshf

ord,

Gra

igue

nam

anag

h, C

logh

, Cal

lan,

Kilk

enny

Urb

an 1

and

2.

10.1

.2Su

ppor

t com

mun

ities

, tar

get g

roup

s to

bui

ld c

apac

ity to

add

ress

key

nee

ds lo

cally

.

10.1

.3Su

ppor

t com

mun

ities

, tar

get g

roup

s to

acc

ess

fund

ing

to m

eet i

dent

ified

nee

ds.

Supp

ort 3

com

mun

ities

per

year

to a

cces

s fu

ndin

g to

mee

t key

nee

dsCK

LP*

10.1

.4Su

ppor

t the

se c

omm

uniti

es, t

arge

t gro

ups

to e

ngag

e wi

th e

xistin

g co

unty

wid

e fo

rum

s.Pr

oact

ivel

y tar

get 3

gro

ups

per y

ear p

er

elec

tora

l dis

trict

to re

gist

er &

eng

age

with

the

PPN

PPN*

Esta

te M

anag

emen

t : C

ompl

ete

3 c

onsu

ltatio

ns p

er a

nnum

KKCC

* Ho

usin

g

Sect

ion

2016

- 20

2010

.1.5

Cont

ribut

e to

dev

elop

ing

sust

aina

bilit

y by c

onsu

lting

with

loca

lly b

ased

Com

mun

ity C

omm

ittee

s on

issu

es

whic

h m

ay a

ffect

thei

r phy

sica

l env

ironm

ent a

nd/o

r the

ir co

mm

unity

.

10.1

.6 P

rom

ote

esta

te m

anag

emen

t in

Kilk

enny

Loc

al A

utho

rity e

stat

es &

impr

ove

the

qual

ity o

f fun

ding

, pro

ject

s an

d tip

s-be

ing

diss

emin

ated

to c

omm

uniti

es th

roug

h va

rious

med

ium

s.Ap

prov

e ap

plic

atio

ns fo

r 2 e

stat

e

man

agem

ent g

roup

s pe

r yea

r KK

CC*

Hous

ing

Sect

ion

2016

-202

0

10

8K

ilken

ny L

ocal

Eco

nom

ic a

nd C

omm

unity

Pla

n

10.1

.7Su

ppor

t the

dev

elop

men

t of c

omm

unity

pro

ject

s an

d pr

ovid

e es

tate

enh

ance

men

t fun

ding

to re

side

nts

grou

ps, w

ith p

riorit

y giv

en to

thos

e in

dis

adva

ntag

ed a

reas

iden

tified

in th

is p

lan.

52 g

rant

s di

strib

uted

ann

ually

( ¾

of

thes

e to

di

sadv

anta

ged

area

s)KK

CC*

Hous

ing

Sect

ion

2016

-202

0

10.1

.8Su

ppor

t res

iden

ts in

thei

r res

pect

ive

resp

onsi

bilit

ies

to p

lay a

n ac

tive

part

in m

aint

aini

ng a

hig

h-qu

ality

lo

cal e

nviro

nmen

t. R

un 2

env

ironm

ent c

omm

unity

e

duca

tion

work

shop

s wi

th

resi

dent

s g

roup

s pe

r ann

um

KKCC

* Ho

usin

g Se

ctio

n20

16-2

020

10.1

.9Co

ntin

ue to

est

ablis

h an

d de

velo

p po

sitiv

e re

latio

nshi

ps th

roug

h se

rvic

e in

tegr

atio

n be

twee

n th

e m

embe

rs

of C

omm

unity

Com

mitt

ees,

Loc

al A

utho

ritie

s, a

nd o

ther

rele

vant

age

ncie

s.30

Host

2 in

tegr

ated

ser

vice

del

iver

y m

eetin

gs fo

r com

mun

ity c

omm

ittee

s pe

r ye

ar

KKCC

* Ho

usin

g Se

ctio

n20

16-2

020

10.1

.10

Pro

vide

trai

ning

sup

ports

to re

side

nt a

ssoc

iatio

ns in

the

form

of o

n- li

ne a

nd p

ublis

hed

mat

eria

ls, a

nd

info

rmat

ion

post

ed o

n th

e K

ilken

ny L

ocal

Aut

horit

ies

webs

ite.

Upda

te a

nd d

isse

min

ate

info

rmat

ion

ne

wssh

eets

onc

e pe

r qua

rter t

o lo

cal

re

side

nts

asso

ciat

ions

KKCC

Hou

sing

Se

ctio

n 20

16-2

020

Com

mun

ity B

ased

App

roac

hes

The

4 FR

C’s

in th

e co

unty

will

sup

port

up

to 8

gro

ups

per y

ear t

o ad

dres

s is

sues

of

depr

ivat

ion

in th

eir a

reas

.

Newp

ark

Clos

e FR

CFr

. McG

rath

FRC

Drio

chea

d FR

CTh

e M

ill F

RC

(4 F

RC’s

from

her

e on

out

)

2016

-202

0 10

.1.1

1 T

he fo

ur F

amily

Res

ourc

e Ce

ntre

s (F

RC’s)

in

Kilk

enny

will

sup

port

and

und

erta

ke d

irect

wor

k wi

th

resi

dent

s an

d co

mm

unity

act

ion

gro

ups

to a

ddre

ss is

sues

rela

tion

to d

epriv

atio

n wi

thin

the

com

mun

ities

th

ey o

pera

te in

.

10.1

.12

Dev

elop

a c

ompr

ehen

sive

stra

tegy

(Cal

lan

Incl

usio

n To

wn) t

o ad

dres

s so

cial

incl

usio

n in

all

aspe

cts

of lo

cal

life,

(with

a s

peci

al e

mph

asis

on

civi

c an

d cu

ltura

l eng

agem

ent),

thro

ugh

deve

lopi

ng p

artn

ersh

ips

with

in

the

coun

ty a

nd a

cros

s th

e EU

.

EU fu

ndin

g se

cure

d, lo

cal

stee

ring

gro

up in

pla

ce a

nd C

alla

n In

clus

ion

Town

Stra

tegy

dev

elop

ed

and

wid

ely

avai

labl

e

Calla

n Co

mm

unity

Ne

twor

k 20

16 (*

Poss

ible

4-5

ye

ar p

rogr

amm

e)

10.1

.13

Wor

k in

par

tner

ship

with

loca

l and

cou

ntyw

ide

com

mun

ity g

roup

s i

n ar

eas

of h

igh

disa

dvan

tage

, sp

ecifi

cally

targ

etin

g th

ose

who

expe

rienc

e th

e hi

ghes

t lev

els

of d

epriv

atio

n in

acc

essi

ng tr

aini

ng s

uppo

rts

unde

r the

Act

ivat

iona

l Fam

ily S

uppo

rts P

rogr

amm

e. (

AFSP

)

Wor

k in

par

tner

ship

with

2 lo

cal

or c

ount

y bas

ed g

roup

s pe

r yea

r,

spec

ifica

lly in

are

as o

f dis

adva

ntag

e, a

s lo

ng a

s th

e AF

SP is

ava

ilabl

e

DSP*

2016

- 20

20

10.1

.14

To c

ontin

ue th

e pr

ovis

ion

of

Com

mun

ity E

duca

tion

and

Lite

racy

Ser

vice

s th

at fa

cilit

ate

and

supp

ort

com

mun

ity b

ased

edu

catio

n cl

asse

s fo

r a ra

nge

of g

roup

s in

loca

l out

reac

h ce

ntre

s th

roug

hout

the

coun

ty.

150

0 pl

aces

offe

red

per a

nnum

*K

CETB

20

16-2

020

29

Impl

emen

tatio

n of

the

LEC

P is

req

uire

d to

con

form

to th

e fo

llow

ing:

Th

e R

egio

nal P

lann

ing

Gui

delin

es a

nd th

e R

egio

nal S

patia

l and

Eco

nom

ic S

trat

egy

(whe

neve

r th

at is

in p

lace

); a

nd

The

prov

isio

ns o

f the

Kilk

enny

Cou

nty

and

City

Dev

elop

men

t Pla

ns a

nd L

ocal

Are

a P

lans

, inc

ludi

ng th

ose

prov

isio

ns r

equi

ring

sust

aina

ble

deve

lopm

ent a

nd R

ural

and

Urb

an B

usin

ess

Dev

elop

men

t Zon

es. E

ncou

rage

inno

vativ

e So

cial

Eco

nom

y bu

sine

sses

with

in th

ese

zone

s.

30

The

term

‘com

mun

ity d

evel

opm

ent’

in it

s br

oade

r m

eani

ng r

efer

s to

the

proc

ess

thro

ugh

whi

ch th

e lif

e of

a c

omm

unity

is e

nhan

ced

thro

ugh

the

wor

k of

a r

ange

of c

omm

unity

-bas

ed/v

olun

tary

org

anis

atio

ns. I

t aim

s to

ena

ble

all c

omm

uniti

es to

be

fully

invo

lved

in, t

o in

fluen

ce a

nd to

sh

ape

loca

l dec

isio

ns.”

The

Kilk

enny

Loc

al A

utho

ritie

s H

ousi

ng D

epar

tmen

t thr

ough

the

supp

ort o

f act

ive

resi

dent

s an

d re

side

nts

asso

ciat

ions

will

link

with

the

nece

ssar

y or

gani

satio

ns to

sup

port

the

deve

lopm

ent o

f thi

s se

nse

of c

omm

unity

with

in o

ur e

stat

es.

Eu 2

020

Prio

rity

4:

EduC

atio

n - r

EduC

E th

E ra

tES

oF E

arLy

SCh

ooL

LEav

ing

BELo

W 1

0% a

nd

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rE a

t LE

aSt

40%

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ar-o

LdS

CoM

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ing

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d LE

vEL

EduC

atio

n

LECP

hig

h LE

vEL

goaL

10:

add

rESS

ing

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-BaS

Ed P

ovEr

ty a

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iSad

vant

agE

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aina

BLE

CoM

Mun

ity

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Ctiv

E 2:

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Erty

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Cati

on –

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thE

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F Ed

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iona

L at

tain

MEn

t Fo

r th

oSE

Livi

ng in

diS

adva

ntag

Ed a

rEaS

actio

nsou

tput

sPa

rtne

rs/L

ead*

timef

ram

e

SiCa

P go

al 2

: Sup

port

ing

acce

ss to

edu

catio

n, tr

aini

ng a

nd d

evel

opm

ent:

Pres

ent o

verv

iew

of s

ignp

ostin

g se

rvic

e to

LCD

C at

year

end

. Dev

elop

stra

tegy

for w

ides

prea

d co

mm

unic

atio

n of

sam

e.

CKLP

* 20

16

10.2

.1De

velo

p a

sign

pos

ting

serv

ice

thro

ugh

the

deliv

ery o

f inf

orm

atio

n se

ssio

ns, o

utre

ach

and

a re

ferra

l sy

stem

into

CKL

P an

d m

ains

tream

edu

catio

n se

rvic

es.

10.2

.2Pr

ovid

e on

e to

one

sup

ports

to in

divi

dual

s wh

o wi

ll po

tent

ially

eng

age

in th

e lif

e-lo

ng le

arni

ng p

roce

sses

.19

00 o

ne to

one

sup

ports

com

plet

edCK

LP*

2016

- 20

18

10.2

.3 P

rovi

de g

roup

and

one

to o

ne s

uppo

rts to

une

mpl

oyed

adu

lts 2

5 ye

ars+

to e

nabl

e ac

cess

to L

ife L

ong

Lear

ning

opp

ortu

nitie

s.Se

rvic

es p

rovi

ded

to 7

5 un

empl

oyed

adu

lts a

ge

25+

CKLP

*20

16 -

2018

10.2

.4To

offe

r ind

ivid

uals

spe

cial

ist k

nowl

edge

, tra

inin

g an

d wo

rk e

xper

ienc

e wh

ich

will

supp

ort t

hem

in s

eeki

ng

empl

oym

ent o

r gai

ning

a p

lace

at t

hird

leve

l th

roug

h th

e pr

ovis

ion

of P

ost L

eavi

ng C

ertifi

cate

Pro

gram

me

500

plac

es o

ffere

d pe

r ann

um*K

C ET

B 20

16-2

020

10.2

.5To

pro

vide

sec

ond

chan

ce e

duca

tion

and

train

ing

prog

ram

me

for a

dults

who

are

long

term

une

mpl

oyed

an

d wh

o wi

sh to

retu

rn to

edu

catio

n to

gai

n a

qual

ifica

tion

and

deve

lop

thei

r ski

lls.

120

plac

es o

ffere

d pe

r ann

um

KCET

B*20

16-2

020

10.2

.6To

pro

vide

indi

vidu

als

and

grou

ps w

ith a

n op

portu

nity

to id

entif

y, ex

plor

e an

d re

view

edu

catio

nal a

nd

care

er o

ptio

ns t

hrou

gh th

e Ki

lken

ny A

dult

Guid

ance

Ser

vice

80

0 pe

ople

sup

porte

d pe

r ann

um

KCET

B*20

16-2

020

10.2

.7 B

ack

to E

duca

tion

Initi

ativ

e -t

o pr

ovid

e FR

EE p

art-

time

furth

er e

duca

tion

prog

ram

mes

for y

oung

peo

ple

and

adul

ts g

ivin

g pa

rtici

pant

s an

opp

ortu

nity

to c

ombi

ne a

retu

rn to

lear

ning

with

fam

ily, w

ork

and

othe

r re

spon

sibi

litie

s.

500

pla

ces

offe

red

per a

nnum

KC

ETB*

2016

-202

0

15-2

4 NE

ETS31

Gro

up:

60 yo

ung

peop

le e

ngag

ed p

er a

nnum

in

prog

ram

mes

/ser

vice

sCK

LP*

2016

- 20

18

10.2

.8Ta

rget

the

15 –

24

NEET

’s gr

oup,

thro

ugh

the

deliv

ery o

f inf

orm

atio

n se

ssio

ns, o

utre

ach,

indi

vidu

al

supp

orts

and

refe

rral i

nto

CKLP

and

mai

nstre

am e

duca

tion,

trai

ning

and

em

ploy

men

t ser

vice

s

11

0K

ilken

ny L

ocal

Eco

nom

ic a

nd C

omm

unity

Pla

n

Eu 2

020

Prio

rity

4:

EduC

atio

n - r

EduC

E th

E ra

tES

oF E

arLy

SCh

ooL

LEav

ing

BELo

W 1

0% a

nd

EnSu

rE a

t LE

aSt

40%

oF

30-3

4–yE

ar-o

LdS

CoM

PLEt

ing

thir

d LE

vEL

EduC

atio

n

LECP

hig

h LE

vEL

goaL

10:

add

rESS

ing

arEa

-BaS

Ed P

ovEr

ty a

nd d

iSad

vant

agE

SuSt

aina

BLE

CoM

Mun

ity

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Ctiv

E 2:

Pov

Erty

: Edu

Cati

on –

inCr

EaSE

thE

LEv

EL o

F Ed

uCat

iona

L at

tain

MEn

t Fo

r th

oSE

Livi

ng in

diS

adva

ntag

Ed a

rEaS

actio

nsou

tput

sPa

rtne

rs/L

ead*

timef

ram

e

SiCa

P go

al 2

: Sup

port

ing

acce

ss to

edu

catio

n, tr

aini

ng a

nd d

evel

opm

ent:

Pres

ent o

verv

iew

of s

ignp

ostin

g se

rvic

e to

LCD

C at

year

end

. Dev

elop

stra

tegy

for w

ides

prea

d co

mm

unic

atio

n of

sam

e.

CKLP

* 20

16

10.2

.1De

velo

p a

sign

pos

ting

serv

ice

thro

ugh

the

deliv

ery o

f inf

orm

atio

n se

ssio

ns, o

utre

ach

and

a re

ferra

l sy

stem

into

CKL

P an

d m

ains

tream

edu

catio

n se

rvic

es.

10.2

.2Pr

ovid

e on

e to

one

sup

ports

to in

divi

dual

s wh

o wi

ll po

tent

ially

eng

age

in th

e lif

e-lo

ng le

arni

ng p

roce

sses

.19

00 o

ne to

one

sup

ports

com

plet

edCK

LP*

2016

- 20

18

10.2

.3 P

rovi

de g

roup

and

one

to o

ne s

uppo

rts to

une

mpl

oyed

adu

lts 2

5 ye

ars+

to e

nabl

e ac

cess

to L

ife L

ong

Lear

ning

opp

ortu

nitie

s.Se

rvic

es p

rovi

ded

to 7

5 un

empl

oyed

adu

lts a

ge

25+

CKLP

*20

16 -

2018

10.2

.4To

offe

r ind

ivid

uals

spe

cial

ist k

nowl

edge

, tra

inin

g an

d wo

rk e

xper

ienc

e wh

ich

will

supp

ort t

hem

in s

eeki

ng

empl

oym

ent o

r gai

ning

a p

lace

at t

hird

leve

l th

roug

h th

e pr

ovis

ion

of P

ost L

eavi

ng C

ertifi

cate

Pro

gram

me

500

plac

es o

ffere

d pe

r ann

um*K

C ET

B 20

16-2

020

10.2

.5To

pro

vide

sec

ond

chan

ce e

duca

tion

and

train

ing

prog

ram

me

for a

dults

who

are

long

term

une

mpl

oyed

an

d wh

o wi

sh to

retu

rn to

edu

catio

n to

gai

n a

qual

ifica

tion

and

deve

lop

thei

r ski

lls.

120

plac

es o

ffere

d pe

r ann

um

KCET

B*20

16-2

020

10.2

.6To

pro

vide

indi

vidu

als

and

grou

ps w

ith a

n op

portu

nity

to id

entif

y, ex

plor

e an

d re

view

edu

catio

nal a

nd

care

er o

ptio

ns t

hrou

gh th

e Ki

lken

ny A

dult

Guid

ance

Ser

vice

80

0 pe

ople

sup

porte

d pe

r ann

um

KCET

B*20

16-2

020

10.2

.7 B

ack

to E

duca

tion

Initi

ativ

e -t

o pr

ovid

e FR

EE p

art-

time

furth

er e

duca

tion

prog

ram

mes

for y

oung

peo

ple

and

adul

ts g

ivin

g pa

rtici

pant

s an

opp

ortu

nity

to c

ombi

ne a

retu

rn to

lear

ning

with

fam

ily, w

ork

and

othe

r re

spon

sibi

litie

s.

500

pla

ces

offe

red

per a

nnum

KC

ETB*

2016

-202

0

15-2

4 NE

ETS31

Gro

up:

60 yo

ung

peop

le e

ngag

ed p

er a

nnum

in

prog

ram

mes

/ser

vice

sCK

LP*

2016

- 20

18

10.2

.8Ta

rget

the

15 –

24

NEET

’s gr

oup,

thro

ugh

the

deliv

ery o

f inf

orm

atio

n se

ssio

ns, o

utre

ach,

indi

vidu

al

supp

orts

and

refe

rral i

nto

CKLP

and

mai

nstre

am e

duca

tion,

trai

ning

and

em

ploy

men

t ser

vice

s

10.2

.9 D

eliv

er n

iche

targ

eted

pro

ject

s su

ch a

s th

e Sa

vour

Kilk

enny

Foo

d Ch

alle

nge

and

targ

eted

afte

r-sch

ools

su

ppor

ts to

pot

entia

l ear

ly sc

hool

leav

ers.

70

0 NE

ETS

youn

g pe

ople

incl

uded

in n

iche

and

af

ter s

choo

l typ

e pr

ogra

mm

esCK

LP*,

sch

ools

in

the

coun

ty,

KTCM

, FRC

’s

2016

- 20

18

10.2

.10

Wor

k in

par

tner

ship

with

the

Scho

ol C

ompl

etio

n Pr

ogra

mm

e in

iden

tifyin

g ne

w in

itiat

ives

to s

uppo

rt yo

ung

peop

le ‘a

t ris

k’ o

f ear

ly sc

hool

leav

ing.

2 ne

w in

itiat

ives

iden

tified

CK

LP/ K

CETB

*20

16 -

2018

10.2

.11

To e

ngag

e th

e ap

prop

riate

bod

ies

to d

evel

op a

mon

itorin

g an

d in

form

atio

n pr

oces

s th

at id

entifi

es th

e sc

hool

atte

ndan

ce o

f Tra

velle

r chi

ldre

n at

bot

h pr

imar

y and

sec

ond

leve

l.Ap

prop

riate

age

ncie

s en

gage

d &

agre

ed

proc

ess/

mec

hani

sm f

or m

onito

ring

the

scho

ol

atte

ndan

ce o

f Tra

velle

r chi

ldre

n d

evel

oped

KTIG

2016

-202

0

10.2

.12

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lop

an e

duca

tion,

trai

ning

and

em

ploy

men

t stra

tegy

for t

he 1

5 –

24 N

EET’s

targ

et g

roup

and

co

ntrib

ute

to a

mor

e co

ordi

nate

d ap

proa

ch to

resp

ondi

ng to

this

coh

ort o

f peo

ple.

NE

ETs

Stra

tegy

for C

ount

y Kilk

enny

Dev

elop

edCK

LP*

KCET

B20

16 -

2018

10.2

.13

Advo

cate

for t

he in

crea

sed

prov

isio

n of

edu

catio

n, tr

aini

ng a

nd d

evel

opm

ent o

ppor

tuni

ties

for t

hose

livi

ng

in d

isad

vant

aged

are

as in

Co

Kilk

enny

De

velo

p a

robu

st a

dvoc

acy p

rogr

amm

e, re

port

findi

ngs

and

prog

ress

ach

ieve

dCK

LP*

2016

- 20

18

10.2

.14

Prov

ide

Deve

lopm

ent O

ffice

r sup

port

to H

ome

Scho

ol L

iais

on C

omm

ittee

s an

d Yo

uth

agen

cy s

teer

ing

grou

ps in

Kilk

enny

.4

mee

tings

atte

nded

and

sup

porte

d ea

ch ye

arCK

LP*

2016

- 20

18

10.2

.15

To c

ontin

ue th

e pr

ovis

ion

of th

e Yo

uthr

each

pro

gram

me

in K

ilken

ny w

ith a

wid

e va

riety

of o

ptio

ns a

nd

anci

llary

sup

ports

for e

arly

scho

ol le

aver

s to

ena

ble

them

to im

prov

e th

eir s

kills

, gai

n a

qual

ifica

tion

and

beco

me

mor

e co

nfide

nt.

25 Y

oung

peo

ple

per y

ear c

ater

ed fo

r *

KCET

B20

16-2

020

10.2

.16

Prov

ide

indi

vidu

al s

uppo

rt to

youn

g pe

ople

who

atte

nd T

he D

rum

or a

re re

ferre

d to

The

Dru

m, t

o re

mai

n in

ed

ucat

ion

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xplo

re o

ther

edu

catio

n al

tern

ativ

es.

25 yo

ung

peop

le s

uppo

rted

on a

one

to o

ne

basi

sDR

UM*

2015

- 20

20

10.2

.17

Lib

rary

Ser

vice

s to

wor

k in

coo

pera

tion

with

rele

vant

age

ncie

s in

the

prov

isio

n of

lite

racy

sup

ports

to

adul

ts, c

hild

ren

and

youn

g pe

ople

in b

oth

tradi

tiona

l and

dig

ital f

orm

ats.

Lite

racy

sup

ports

pro

vide

d to

1,0

00 p

eopl

e pe

r an

num

KKCC

Lib

rary

Se

rvic

es*

2015

- 20

20

10.2

.18

Libr

ary S

ervi

ces

to p

rovi

de c

omm

unity

spa

ce fo

r cla

sses

and

oth

er o

ppor

tuni

ties

both

in-h

ouse

and

onl

ine

that

resp

ond

to e

duca

tiona

l nee

ds.

Prov

ide

educ

atio

nal o

ppor

tuni

ties/

clas

ses

to

1,00

0 pe

ople

per

ann

umKK

CC L

ibra

ry

Serv

ices

*20

15 -

2020

10.2

.19

The

4 FR

C’s

in th

e co

unty

will

run

rele

vant

edu

catio

n pr

ogra

mm

es to

impr

ove

the

educ

atio

n le

vels

of

indi

vidu

als

livin

g in

are

as o

f dis

adva

ntag

e.

Capa

city

bui

ldin

g an

d ed

ucat

ion

& tra

inin

g

su

ppor

t pro

gram

mes

will

be

run

to s

uppo

rt 25

0 in

divi

dual

s pe

r yea

r

4 FR

C’s

2016

-202

0

31 N

EETS

(EU

pro

gram

me

term

) re

ferr

ing

to Y

oung

Peo

ple

betw

een

age

15-2

4 w

ho a

re N

OT

in E

MP

LOYM

ENT,

ED

UC

ATIO

N o

r TR

AIN

ING

SER

VIC

ES.

Eu 2

020

Prio

rity

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MPL

oyM

Ent:

75%

oF

thE

20-6

4 yE

ar-o

LdS

to B

E EM

PLoy

Ed

LECP

hig

h LE

vEL

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ing

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-BaS

Ed P

ovEr

ty a

nd d

iSad

vant

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aina

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CoM

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ity

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E 3:

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Erty

: unE

MPL

oyM

Ent

– t

o rE

duCE

thE

LEv

EL o

F un

EMPL

oyM

Ent

in d

iSad

vant

agEd

arE

aS

actio

nsou

tput

sPa

rtne

rs/L

ead*

timef

ram

e

SiCa

P go

al 3

: Sup

port

ing

acce

ss to

em

ploy

men

t ser

vice

s es

peci

ally

for t

hose

mos

t dis

tant

from

th

e la

bour

mar

ket:

1900

one

-to-

one

Supp

orts

Com

plet

ed to

un

empl

oyed

indi

vidu

als

from

dis

adva

ntag

ed a

reas

id

entifi

ed in

this

pla

n

CKLP

*20

16 -

2018

10.3

.1Pr

ovid

e on

e to

one

sup

ports

to in

divi

dual

s wh

o wi

ll po

tent

ially

eng

age

in th

e Pr

e-Em

ploy

men

t Tr

aini

ng, e

duca

tion,

wor

k pl

acem

ent a

nd e

mpl

oym

ent p

rogr

amm

es.

10.3

.2Ac

t as

a si

gn p

ostin

g se

rvic

e th

roug

h th

e de

liver

y of i

nter

-age

ncy i

nfor

mat

ion

sess

ions

, out

reac

h an

d re

ferra

l int

o CK

LP a

nd m

ains

tream

ser

vice

s.

Pres

ent o

verv

iew

of s

ignp

ostin

g se

rvic

e to

LCD

C at

year

end

. Dev

elop

stra

tegy

for w

ides

prea

d co

mm

unic

atio

n of

sam

e.

CKLP

*20

16 -

2018

10.3

.3De

liver

nic

he e

mpl

oym

ent p

rogr

amm

es s

uch

as K

ick-

Star

t, Pa

sspo

rt to

Em

ploy

men

t and

Driv

ing

Ambi

tions

.En

gage

10

une

mpl

oyed

peo

ple

from

DA

in th

ese

prog

ram

mes

per

ann

um

CKLP

*20

16 -

2018

10.3

.4De

liver

the

Coun

ty K

ilken

ny E

mpl

oyab

ility

Stra

tegy

201

5 - 2

018

Deliv

er th

e Co

unty

Kilk

enny

Em

ploy

abili

ty S

trate

gy

2015

- 20

18CK

LP*

2016

- 20

18

10.3

.54

FRC’

s in

cou

nty c

ontin

ue to

dev

elop

em

ploy

men

t tra

inin

g an

d s

uppo

rt se

rvic

es fo

r lon

g te

rm

unem

ploy

ed i

n di

sadv

anta

ged

area

s a

nd th

ose

mos

t dis

tant

fro

m th

e la

bour

mar

ket

To s

uppo

rt 25

0 lo

ng te

rm u

nem

ploy

ed, y

outh

and

th

ose

mos

t dis

tant

from

the

labo

ur m

arke

t to

acce

ss a

var

iety

trai

ning

and

edu

catio

n in

itiat

ives

.

4 FR

C’s

2016

-202

0

Supp

ortin

g se

lf-em

ploy

ed:

1900

one

-to-

one

Supp

orts

Com

plet

ed to

un

empl

oyed

indi

vidu

als

from

dis

adva

ntag

ed a

reas

id

entifi

ed in

this

pla

n as

sta

ted

in 3

.1

CKLP

*20

16 -

2018

10.3

.6De

liver

pre

-ent

erpr

ise

work

shop

s in

to ta

rget

ed c

omm

uniti

es a

nd p

rovi

de o

ne to

one

bus

ines

s de

velo

pmen

t sup

ports

to in

divi

dual

s se

ekin

g to

est

ablis

h ow

n en

terp

rise.

10.3

.7Li

nk e

nter

pris

es in

to b

road

er n

etwo

rks

and

oppo

rtuni

ties

in th

e re

gion

, e.g

. SE

Regi

onal

Foo

d Tr

ade

Desk

, Sav

our K

ilken

ny a

nd Tr

ail K

ilken

ny.

10 lo

cal b

usin

esse

s lin

ked

per a

nnum

CKLP

*20

16 -

2018

11

2K

ilken

ny L

ocal

Eco

nom

ic a

nd C

omm

unity

Pla

n

Soci

al E

nter

pris

e:

Two

soci

al e

nter

pris

es a

ssis

ted

per a

nnum

CKLP

*20

16 -

2018

10.3

.8Su

ppor

t the

dev

elop

men

t of

loca

l ent

erpr

ises

10.3

.9Pa

rtner

with

rele

vant

age

ncie

s to

run

targ

eted

jobs

fairs

in id

entifi

ed a

reas

of d

isad

vant

age.

2 Jo

bsee

ker e

vent

s c

ompl

eted

per

ann

umDS

P*20

16 -

2020

10.3

.10

Wor

k in

coo

pera

tion

with

rele

vant

age

ncie

s to

targ

et in

form

atio

n in

rela

tion

to tr

aini

ng a

nd

empl

oym

ent o

ppor

tuni

ties

to s

peci

fic c

ohor

ts o

f peo

ple

regi

ster

ed w

ith IN

TREO

. Al

l est

ablis

hed

partn

ersh

ips

impr

oved

.DS

P*20

16 -

2020

10.3

.11

4 F

RC’s

cont

inue

to d

evel

op s

ocia

l ent

erpr

ise

proj

ects

with

in th

eir s

peci

fic a

reas

6 so

cial

ent

erpr

ises

per

year

ass

iste

d an

d m

aint

aine

d 4

FRC’

s 20

16-2

020

Eu 2

020

Prio

rity

5: F

ight

ing

PovE

rty

and

SoCi

aL E

XCLu

Sion

: at

LEaS

t 20

MiL

Lion

FEW

Er P

EoPL

E in

or

at r

iSk

oF P

ovEr

ty a

nd S

oCia

L EX

CLuS

ion

LECP

hig

h LE

vEL

goaL

10:

add

rESS

ing

arEa

-BaS

Ed P

ovEr

ty &

diS

adva

ntag

E

SuSt

aina

BLE

CoM

Mun

ity

oBJE

Ctiv

E 4:

Pov

Erty

: you

th u

nEM

PLoy

MEn

t –

rEdu

CE t

hE L

EvEL

oF

yout

h un

EMPL

oyM

Ent

in d

iSad

vant

agEd

arE

aS

actio

nsou

tput

sPa

rtne

rs/L

ead*

timef

ram

e

10.4

.1De

liver

the

‘Wor

k to

Lea

rn’ P

rogr

amm

e to

12-

15 yo

ung

peop

le a

nnua

lly, a

ged

15-1

8yrs

, who

oth

erwi

se

woul

d no

t hav

e th

e op

portu

nity,

sup

port

or k

nowl

edge

to g

ain

part-

time

work

. 15

new

peo

ple

from

DA

targ

eted

eac

h ye

arOs

sory

You

th*

2016

-201

8

10.4

.2 T

he D

RUM

yout

h ce

ntre

will

pro

vide

trai

ning

to a

ssis

t ide

ntifi

ed

youn

g pe

ople

to d

evel

op s

kills

ai

med

at e

nhan

cing

thei

r em

ploy

abili

ty b

y wor

king

col

labo

rativ

ely w

ith o

ther

You

th a

nd C

omm

unity

Or

gani

satio

ns

3 c

ours

es d

eliv

ered

per

ann

um to

20

youn

g pe

ople

DRUM

*20

16-2

020

10.4

.3Pr

ovid

e fa

cilit

ies

to o

ther

ser

vice

s de

liver

ing

educ

atio

nal p

rogr

amm

es fo

r you

ng

peop

le to

aid

futu

re e

mpl

oym

ent.

5 Se

rvic

es a

ssis

ted

to d

eliv

er 5

pro

gram

mes

to

50

youn

g pe

ople

DRUM

*20

16-2

020

10.4

.4Su

ppor

t the

dev

elop

men

t of a

sel

f-em

ploy

men

t pro

gram

me

for t

he 1

5 –

24 ye

ar

old

targ

et g

roup

(Lin

ked

to th

e st

rate

gy p

roce

ss o

utlin

ed in

Act

ion

2.7)

5 pr

ogra

mm

es p

er ye

ar

CKLP

*20

16

10.4

.5W

ork

with

rele

vant

age

ncie

s an

d gr

oups

to s

uppo

rt lo

cal B

usin

esse

s to

sig

n up

tth

e Em

ploy

men

t and

You

th A

ctiv

atio

n Ch

arte

r.As

man

y lo

cal

busi

ness

es a

s is

pos

sibl

e to

be

sign

ed u

p pe

r ann

umDS

P*20

16 –

202

0

Eu 2

020

Prio

rity

5: F

ight

ing

PovE

rty

and

SoCi

aL E

XCLu

Sion

: at

LEaS

t 20

MiL

Lion

FEW

Er P

EoPL

E in

or

at r

iSk

oF P

ovEr

ty a

nd S

oCia

L EX

CLuS

ion

LECP

hig

h LE

vEL

goaL

11:

add

rESS

ing

PovE

rty

& So

CiaL

EXC

LuSi

on

SuSt

aina

BLE

CoM

Mun

ity

oBJE

Ctiv

E 5:

to

EnSu

rE t

hE in

CLuS

ion

and

aCti

vE E

ngag

EMEn

t oF

aLL

Cit

iZEn

S in

thE

SoC

iaL

and

ECon

oMiC

dEv

ELoP

MEn

t oF

Cou

nty

kiLk

Enny

actio

nsou

tput

sPa

rtne

rs/L

ead*

timef

ram

e

11.5

.1PP

N so

cial

Incl

usio

n pi

llar a

nd th

e KF

SIP

to b

e dy

nam

ic s

truct

ure

for c

omm

unic

atio

n an

d en

gage

men

t of

com

mun

ity o

rgan

isat

ions

.En

hanc

ed r

epre

sent

atio

n on

loc

al C

omm

ittee

s,

Com

mun

icat

ion

Stra

tegy

dev

elop

ed, i

nfor

med

so

cial

incl

usio

n se

ctor

PPN

2016

-201

7

11.5

.2 P

rom

ote

initi

ativ

es th

at e

ncou

rage

inte

ract

ion

amon

g di

vers

e c

omm

uniti

es a

t nei

ghbo

urho

od le

vel,

thro

ugh

for e

xam

ple

resi

dent

s as

soci

atio

ns o

r Gar

da C

omm

unity

Saf

ety G

roup

s2

Initi

ativ

es d

eliv

ered

/sup

porte

d pe

r ann

umKI

F 20

16-2

020

11.5

.3Th

e 4

FRC’

s in

the

coun

ty w

ill c

ontin

ue to

pro

vide

thei

r fac

ilitie

s to

loca

l com

mun

ity g

roup

s as

a m

eans

of

enc

oura

ging

inte

ract

ion

betw

een

grou

ps o

pera

ting

at lo

cal l

evel

Pr

ovid

e ac

cess

to fa

cilit

ies

for

12 lo

cal g

roup

s pe

r yea

r 4

FRC’

s 2-

16-2

020

youn

g Pe

ople

:15

00 yo

ung

peop

le p

er a

nnum

eng

aged

Osso

ry Y

outh

2016

-201

811

.5.4

Prov

ide

acce

ss to

yout

h wo

rk o

ppor

tuni

ties

and

supp

ort,

targ

eted

and

uni

vers

al,

rura

l and

urb

an to

an

exce

ss o

f 150

0 yo

ung

peop

le a

nnua

lly.

11.5

.5Id

entif

y, tra

in a

nd s

uppo

rt in

exc

ess

of 1

50 v

olun

teer

s an

nual

ly to

pro

vide

co

mm

unity

-bas

ed yo

uth

wor

k op

portu

nitie

s fo

r you

ng p

eopl

e ag

ed 1

2-18

yrs.

150

volu

ntee

rs p

er a

nnum

recr

uite

dOs

sory

You

th20

16-2

018

11.5

.6Es

tabl

ish

the

Child

ren

and

Youn

g pe

ople

’s Se

rvic

es C

omm

ittee

(TUS

LA)

Deve

lopm

ent o

f a C

hild

ren

and

Youn

g Pe

ople

’s St

rate

gy

TUSL

A 20

16

11.5

.7De

velo

p a

soci

o-de

mog

raph

ic p

rofil

e an

d an

aud

it of

ser

vice

s fo

r chi

ldre

n an

d yo

ung

peop

le in

Cou

nty

Kilk

enny

.Au

dit c

ompl

eted

TUSL

A/

Child

ren’

s Se

rvic

es

Com

mitt

ee

2016

11

4K

ilken

ny L

ocal

Eco

nom

ic a

nd C

omm

unity

Pla

n

11.5

.8Ca

rry o

ut a

n an

alys

is o

f the

nee

ds o

f chi

ldre

n an

d yo

ung

peop

le li

ving

in th

e co

unty.

Need

s An

alys

is c

ompl

eted

TUSL

A/

Child

ren’

s Se

rvic

es

Com

mitt

ee

2016

11.5

.9 D

evel

op a

n ac

tion

plan

and

stra

tegy

to re

spon

d to

the

need

s of

chi

ldre

n an

d yo

ung

peop

le.

Stra

tegy

dev

elop

edTU

SLA/

Ch

ildre

n’s

Serv

ices

Co

mm

ittee

2017

11.5

.10

The

4 FR

C’s

will

, thr

ough

thei

r chi

ldre

n an

d yo

uth

prog

ram

mes

enc

oura

ge yo

ung

peop

le e

ngag

ed in

FR

C pr

ogra

mm

es to

par

ticip

ate

and

activ

ely e

ngag

e in

the

appr

opria

te d

ecis

ion

mak

ing

stru

ctur

es- i

.e.

the

Com

hairl

e na

nÓg

100

Youn

g pe

ople

Act

ivel

y par

ticip

atin

g pe

r yea

r 4

FRC’

s20

16-2

020

11.5

.11

Crea

te o

ppor

tuni

ties

to in

volv

e yo

uth,

act

ive

age,

mar

gina

lised

and

soc

ially

exc

lude

d gr

oups

in

herit

age

proj

ects

. Un

derta

ke 2

her

itage

pro

ject

s wh

ich

addr

ess

soci

al e

xclu

sion

Kilk

enny

He

ritag

e Fo

rum

, KK

CC H

erita

ge

Offic

e*, H

erita

ge

Coun

cil

2016

-201

8

olde

r Peo

ple

To m

aint

ain

the

3 re

leva

nt s

truct

ures

( Ol

der P

eopl

es F

orum

, Ser

vice

Pro

vide

rs

Foru

m, B

usin

ess

of a

ging

) an

d de

velo

p ne

w pr

ogra

mm

es: t

he

Log

on a

nd L

earn

Pro

gram

me,

Bu

sine

ss M

ento

r Pan

els,

the

over

65

Star

t-up

Su

ppor

t pro

gram

me,

the

Age

Frie

ndly

Busi

ness

Pr

ogra

mm

e as

par

t of t

he A

ge F

riend

ly Co

unty

In

itiat

ive

in K

ilken

ny

Age

Frie

ndly

Allia

nce

*KC

ETB

DCU

2016

-202

0

11.5

.12

To c

ontin

ue to

iden

tify a

nd e

stab

lish

rele

vant

pro

gram

mes

and

pro

ject

s th

at im

prov

e th

e liv

es o

f Old

er

peop

le li

ving

in K

ilken

ny

(See

Kilk

enny

Age

Frie

ndly

Stra

tegy

for f

urth

er d

etai

l)

Eu 2

020

Prio

rity

5: F

ight

ing

PovE

rty

and

SoCi

aL E

XCLu

Sion

: at

LEaS

t 20

MiL

Lion

FEW

Er P

EoPL

E in

or

at r

iSk

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ovEr

ty a

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11.6

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ppor

t Tra

velle

r dev

elop

men

t wor

kers

and

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elle

r rep

rese

ntat

ives

to

unde

rtake

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tifica

te/ D

iplo

ma

/Deg

ree

in C

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unity

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dies

11.6

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rget

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elle

r you

th 1

8-25

year

s fo

r a p

re-e

mpl

oym

ent t

rain

ing

and

supp

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r 10

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cros

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e co

unty

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avel

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com

plet

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e-em

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men

t tra

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gKT

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11.6

.3Ac

cess

fund

ing

stre

ams

to s

usta

in th

e KT

CM o

ver 3

year

per

iods

for c

ontin

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of

wor

k an

d to

dev

elop

as

an in

depe

nden

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velle

r Pro

ject

with

in th

e co

unty.

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ing

secu

red

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KTIG

/KKC

C –

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mun

ity &

cu

lture

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tion/

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11.6

.4Su

ppor

t the

Trav

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r Hor

se P

roje

ct in

dev

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its fu

ll po

tent

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plan

for h

orse

pro

ject

dev

elop

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proj

ect i

nitia

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mun

ity

& Cu

lture

Sec

tion,

Ho

usin

g Se

ctio

n, /

CK

LP /K

TCM

/ DAF

M/

KKLA

G

2016

-202

0

11.6

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ppor

t exp

ansi

on o

f the

Yel

low

Flag

Sch

ools

Pro

gram

me

with

in th

e Co

unty

Incl

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n of

two

new

scho

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h ye

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16 -2

020

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ntin

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sup

port

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prov

isio

n of

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lish

lang

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mal

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in

resp

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/ Im

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s20

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6K

ilken

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ocal

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nom

ic a

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unity

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n

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hig

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iver

sity

and

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oura

ge in

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atio

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ongs

t all

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nd c

ultu

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roup

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Kilk

enny

th

roug

h an

int

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ltura

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nts

pro

gram

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spor

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ts

2 In

terc

ultu

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vent

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ld a

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ast o

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ppor

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del

iver

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ultu

ral a

ware

ness

trai

ning

to s

choo

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n Ki

lken

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ultu

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com

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The

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orte

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derta

ke a

com

preh

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eeds

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lysis

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one

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porte

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ry Y

outh

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prog

ram

me

on

youn

g pe

ople

exc

lude

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m s

ocie

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n th

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sis

of

men

tal h

ealth

sta

tus,

eth

nici

ty, s

exua

lity,

disa

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vel o

f ‘ris

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nera

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parti

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in O

ssor

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.

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oung

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ple

per y

ear p

artic

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ing

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pro

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mes

/pro

ject

s Os

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You

th20

16 -2

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4 FR

C’s

will

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ce to

ward

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lner

able

fam

ilies

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are

exc

lude

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m

soci

ety o

n th

e ba

sis

on m

enta

l hea

lth s

tatu

s, e

thni

city,

sex

ualit

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sabi

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age

, mar

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us a

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ss.

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mili

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er ye

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tified

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faci

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dit a

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lan.

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nnum

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outh

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-202

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all a

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outh

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outh

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ject

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ting

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litie

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ill b

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gro

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ear a

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m

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UM

2016

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cilit

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to Y

outh

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ppor

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mun

ity p

artic

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cord

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pre

sent

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r her

itage

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com

mun

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artic

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Her

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ritag

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ually

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e PP

NAp

prop

riate

Ele

ctor

al/ M

unic

ipal

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trict

mee

tings

an

d co

mm

unic

atio

n m

etho

ds e

stab

lishe

d an

d op

erat

iona

l

PPN

2016

-202

0

Eu 2

020

Prio

rity

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ight

ing

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rty

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aL E

XCLu

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: at

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CiLi

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raSt

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aCti

viti

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nd P

rogr

aMM

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nd P

arti

CiPa

tion

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ity

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E 10

: to

inCr

EaSE

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ity

Part

iCiP

atio

n an

d Ci

viC

Enga

gEM

Ent

at B

oth

Mun

iCiP

aL d

iStr

iCt

and

at C

ount

y LE

vEL.

actio

nsou

tput

sPa

rtne

rs/L

ead*

timef

ram

e

12.1

0.1

Empl

oy a

dev

elop

men

t wor

ker f

or th

e PP

N PP

N Re

sour

ce W

orke

r in

plac

eKK

CC*

Com

mun

ity &

Cu

lture

Sec

tion

PP

N

2015

12.1

0.2

Deve

lop

publ

ic c

onsu

ltatio

n an

d en

gage

men

t pol

icy/

prot

ocol

s fo

r SPC

’s, P

PN, L

CDC,

and

KK

CC.

Polic

ies

deve

lope

d an

d ag

reed

PPN*

, KK

CC

all r

elev

ant

sect

ions

an

d El

ecte

d Re

pres

enta

tives

2016

12.1

0.3

Supp

ort t

he P

PN m

embe

rshi

p to

be

a dy

nam

ic s

truct

ure

for c

omm

unic

atio

n an

d en

gage

men

t.An

nual

wor

k pl

an d

evel

oped

for P

PN a

nd re

port

to L

CDC

each

ye

arPP

N*20

16 -

2020

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0K

ilken

ny L

ocal

Eco

nom

ic a

nd C

omm

unity

Pla

n

12.1

0.4

Ensu

re th

at th

ose

mos

t dis

tant

from

dec

isio

n m

akin

g st

ruct

ures

are

sup

porte

d al

ong

with

loca

l com

mun

ities

and

gro

ups

to b

ecom

e m

embe

rs o

f the

PPN

and

oth

er re

leva

nt

coun

ty fo

ra to

ens

ure

acce

ss to

loca

l/cou

nty d

ecis

ion

mak

ing

stru

ctur

es.

A ta

rget

ed re

crui

tmen

t cam

paig

n ro

lled

out

ann

ually

PPN*

FRC

’s 20

15 -

2020

12.1

0.5

Supp

ort r

epre

sent

ativ

es a

t the

se fo

ra to

be

info

rmed

, hav

e a

clea

r age

nda

and

man

date

fro

m th

eir c

omm

uniti

es in

ord

er to

par

ticip

ate

effe

ctiv

ely.

Th

e nu

mbe

r of

mem

bers

sup

porte

d wi

ll m

atch

the

num

ber o

f st

ruct

ures

the

PPN

is re

pres

ente

d on

per

year

PPN*

2016

- 202

0

12.1

0.6

Deve

lop

a Vo

lunt

eer S

trate

gy a

cros

s a

num

ber o

f key

them

es, e

.g. y

outh

, old

er p

eopl

e,

arts

, car

ing,

info

rmat

ion

supp

ort,

com

mun

ity g

roup

s.Vo

lunt

eer R

ecru

itmen

t and

Mai

nten

ance

stra

tegy

dev

elop

edPP

N20

17

12.1

0.7

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crea

se c

omm

unity

par

ticip

atio

n an

d ci

vic

enga

gem

ent o

f old

er p

eopl

e at

bot

h M

unic

ipal

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trict

and

at C

ount

y Lev

elPr

omot

ion

cam

paig

n de

velo

ped

out

linin

g o

ppor

tuni

ties

for

enga

gem

ent &

par

ticip

atio

n of

peo

ple

of a

ll ag

es in

arts

, cu

ltura

l, sp

iritu

al, l

eisu

re, l

earn

ing

and

phys

ical

act

iviti

es&

prog

ram

mes

Age

Frie

ndly

Allia

nce

2016

-202

0

Eu 2

020

Prio

rity

5: F

ight

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or

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SurE

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LL k

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tiZE

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MaX

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Ed

actio

nsou

tput

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rtne

rs/L

ead*

timef

ram

e

13.1

1.1

To w

ork

with

oth

er s

tatu

tory,

non

sta

tuto

ry a

nd v

olun

tary

age

ncie

s in

the

roll

out o

f na

tiona

l prio

ritie

s as

iden

tified

in H

ealth

y Ire

land

- the

nat

iona

l fra

mew

ork

for a

ctio

n to

im

prov

e th

e he

alth

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wel

lbei

ng o

f the

peo

ple

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elan

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ritie

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d ag

enci

es id

entifi

ed o

n an

ann

ual b

asis

HS

E - H

ealth

Pr

omot

ion

& Im

prov

emen

t, He

alth

&

Wel

lbei

ng

Divi

sion

2015

- 20

18

13.1

1.2

Iden

tify a

nd c

olla

te e

vide

nce

base

d da

ta o

n th

e co

ntrib

utio

n of

her

itage

to h

ealth

and

we

ll-be

ing

Unde

rtake

an

evid

ence

bas

ed s

tudy

on

the

cont

ribut

ion

of

herit

age

to h

ealth

and

wel

l-bei

ngKi

lken

ny H

erita

ge

Foru

m, K

KCC

Herit

age

Offic

e*,

Herit

age

Coun

cil

2016

201

8

12

2K

ilken

ny L

ocal

Eco

nom

ic a

nd C

omm

unity

Pla

n

actio

nsou

tput

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rtne

rs/L

ead*

timef

ram

e

13.1

1.3

Deve

lop

and

deliv

er A

ctiv

e Tr

avel

pro

gram

mes

to p

rom

ote

beha

viou

ral c

hang

e in

sch

ools

, wo

rkpl

ace

and

com

mun

ity s

ettin

gsGr

eate

r num

bers

of p

eopl

e wa

lkin

g an

d cy

clin

g fo

r da

ily c

omm

utes

.KR

SP20

15 -

2018

13.1

1.4

Pr

ovid

e tra

inin

g an

d su

ppor

ts to

est

ablis

h sp

orts

and

act

ive

recr

eatio

n pr

ogra

mm

es

with

in c

omm

uniti

es.

6 –

8 Co

mm

uniti

es S

uppo

rted

KRSP

2015

-201

8

13.1

1.5

Supp

ort a

nd e

ncou

rage

pre

scho

ols

and

scho

ols

to p

repa

re a

nd im

plem

ent a

n ef

fect

ive

phys

ical

edu

catio

n an

d sp

orts

pro

gram

me

for c

hild

ren

and

youn

g pe

ople

.Pr

ovis

ion

of te

ache

r tra

inin

g op

portu

nitie

s, 4

wo

rksh

ops

annu

ally.

Enh

ance

d lin

ks b

etwe

en

scho

ols

and

club

s.

KRSP

2015

- 20

18

13.1

1.6

Supp

ort s

ports

clu

bs to

pro

vide

qua

lity o

ppor

tuni

ties

for e

ngag

emen

t in

spor

t and

act

ive

recr

eatio

n, in

par

ticul

ar m

inor

ity s

ports

and

spo

rts c

ater

ing

for m

inor

ity g

roup

s.Ro

ll ou

t of C

oach

Edu

catio

n Co

urse

s

Crea

te p

athw

ays

for l

ifelo

ng p

artic

ipat

ion

in c

lubs

and

cre

ate

new

oppo

rtuni

ties

for p

artic

ipat

ion

th

roug

h cl

ub d

evel

opm

ent g

rant

s.

10 C

lubs

sup

porte

d an

nual

ly.

13.1

1.7

Supp

ort s

port

and

activ

e re

crea

tion

prov

ider

s to

faci

litat

e pa

rtici

patio

n fo

r all

and

incr

ease

par

ticip

atio

n am

ong

spec

ific

grou

ps w

ho a

re le

ss a

ctiv

ely e

ngag

ed.

Oppo

rtuni

ties

for s

taff,

coa

ches

, lea

ders

and

vol

unte

ers

to p

artic

ipat

e in

trai

ning

, res

ultin

g in

in

crea

sed

capa

city

to e

ngag

e wi

th th

e wh

ole

com

mun

ity.

Prog

ram

mes

dev

elop

ed b

y KRS

P to

cat

er fo

r low

par

ticip

atio

n gr

oups

.

5 ne

w pr

ogra

mm

es a

nnua

lly.


Eu 2

020

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rity

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ight

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hE F

oLLo

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PLE

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diSa

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uBSt

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niC

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orit

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S an

d Lg

Bti

actio

nsou

tput

sPa

rtne

rs/L

ead*

timef

ram

e

13.1

2.1

Ethn

icity

: De

liver

y of T

rain

ing

on a

Trai

n th

e Tr

aine

r ba

sis

of “

Inte

rcul

tura

l Awa

rene

ss

& Pr

actic

e in

Hea

lth &

Soc

ial C

are”

Trai

ning

pro

vide

d to

25

staf

f / p

erso

ns p

er a

nnum

HSE

Soci

al

Incl

usio

n Un

it 20

16 -

2020

13.1

2.2

To M

ap th

e Ro

ma

Com

mun

ity w

ithin

Kilk

enny

Ro

ma

Com

mun

ity m

appi

ng a

nd re

port

pro

duce

d an

d di

ssem

inat

edHS

E So

cial

In

clus

ion

Unit

2016

13.1

2.3

Drug

and

Alc

ohol

: To

ensu

re th

at K

ilken

ny o

pera

tes

an e

ffect

ive

Loca

l Dru

gs Ta

sk F

orce

th

at c

an re

spon

d to

iden

tified

prio

ritie

s in

Kilk

enny

und

er th

e th

emes

of:

l

Supp

ly Co

ntro

l, Co

mm

unity

Saf

ety,

Crim

e l

Trea

tmen

t, Ha

rm R

educ

tion

Serv

ices

l

Educ

atio

n, Tr

aini

ng a

nd E

mpl

oym

ent

A Lo

cal D

rug

Stra

tegy

and

Task

For

ce in

pla

ce to

add

ress

lo

cal n

eeds

KL

DTF*

2016

-202

0

13.1

2.4

Hom

eles

snes

s: To

con

tinue

to w

ork

as a

n in

tegr

ated

Hom

eles

s Ac

tion

Team

to m

eet t

he

need

s of

com

plex

cas

es th

at p

rese

nt in

Kilk

enny

as

vic

tims

of h

omel

essn

ess

To h

ave

deve

lope

d 5

succ

essf

ul in

tegr

ated

res

pons

es t

o ho

mel

ess

clie

nts

pre

sent

ing

to th

e Ho

mel

ess

Act

ion

Team

pe

r yea

r

HAT*

2016

-201

8

12.1

2.5

To e

nsur

e th

ose

pres

entin

g as

hom

eles

s ha

ve a

cces

s to

hea

lth s

ervi

ces

by e

nsur

ing

each

ser

vice

use

r has

a c

urre

nt v

alid

Med

ical

Car

d.To

ass

ess,

if n

eces

sary

then

ass

ist i

n ap

plic

atio

n of

med

ical

car

d an

d ac

tione

d on

Car

e Pl

an. A

ppro

x pe

rcen

tage

: 90%

. All

requ

ired

heal

th c

are

need

s ar

e fu

lfille

d fro

m c

are

plan

.

HSE

Soci

al

Incl

usio

n Un

it

13.1

2.6

To e

nsur

e th

ose

pres

entin

g as

hom

eles

s ha

ve a

Hea

lth N

eeds

ass

essm

ent c

arrie

d ou

t on

adm

ittan

ce to

Hom

eles

s Se

rvic

es.

Ever

y ser

vice

use

rs a

dmitt

ed to

Hom

eles

s Se

rvic

e ha

s a

Heal

th N

eeds

Ass

essm

ent c

arrie

d ou

t with

in tw

o we

eks

and

refle

cted

with

in c

are

plan

. App

rox p

erce

ntag

e: 8

5%

HSE

Soci

al

Incl

usio

n Un

it20

16-2

020

13.1

2.7

To e

nsur

e ea

ch s

ervi

ce u

ser h

as a

car

e pl

an w

hich

will

sup

port

them

to m

anag

e th

eir

phys

ical

, gen

eral

hea

lth a

nd a

ddic

tion

issu

esCa

re P

lan

revi

ew m

eetin

gs a

nd p

rogr

essi

on o

f sam

e.

HSE

Soci

al

Incl

usio

n Un

it20

16-2

020

13.1

2.8

To e

nsur

e th

at H

omel

ess

Serv

ices

are

wor

king

to Q

ualit

y Sta

ndar

ds.

Qual

ity s

tand

ards

che

cklis

t dev

elop

ed.

(As

part

of th

e Se

rvic

e Le

vel A

gree

men

t all

Hom

eles

s Se

rvic

es w

ill

com

men

ce im

plem

enta

tion

of Q

ualit

y Sta

ndar

ds u

nder

th

e re

vise

d Pu

tting

Peo

ple

Firs

t and

HSE

Bet

ter H

ealth

Ou

tcom

es).

HSE

Soci

al

Incl

usio

n Un

it20

16-2

020

124 Kilkenny Local Economic and Community Plan1

24

13.1

2.9

Men

tal H

ealth

: Sup

port

the

impl

emen

tatio

n of

the

Life

line

Coun

ty S

trate

gy fo

r Sui

cide

Pr

even

tion.

12.4

Kilk

enny

Life

line

Grou

p to

pre

sent

impl

emen

tatio

n

outc

omes

to th

e LC

DC o

n an

ann

ual b

asis

Li

felin

e Ki

lken

ny20

15 -

2018

13.1

2.10

Men

tal H

ealth

: Con

tinue

to L

ink

in W

ith L

ifelin

e wh

en s

uppo

rting

you

ng p

eopl

e’s

posi

tive

men

tal h

ealth

thro

ugh

the

Arts

Offi

ce L

itera

ry p

rogr

amm

es

Prod

uctio

n of

1 R

hym

e Ra

g m

agaz

ine

per y

ear w

ith

asso

ciat

ed w

orks

hops

KKCC

Arts

Offi

ce

2016

-202

0

13.1

2.11

LGBT

I Con

tinue

to s

uppo

rt Ki

lken

ny P

ride

and

Out f

or th

e we

eken

d ev

ent o

n an

nual

ba

sis

One

eve

nt p

er a

nnum

sup

porte

dKK

CC*

Com

mun

ity &

Cu

lture

Sec

tion

2015

- 20

20

13.1

2.12

LGB

TI H

ost a

ser

ies

of ro

und-

tabl

e di

scus

sion

s to

iden

tify k

ey n

eeds

and

resp

onse

s to

th

e LG

BTI i

n Ki

lken

ny

Nee

ds A

nalys

is c

ompl

eted

.KK

CC*

Com

mun

ity &

Cu

lture

Sec

tion

2016

-201

7

13.1

2.13

Cont

inue

to d

evel

op n

eeds

bas

ed a

nd d

eman

d-le

d se

rvic

es fo

r all

youn

g pe

ople

wi

th a

par

ticul

ar fo

cus

on yo

ung

peop

le e

xper

ienc

ing

excl

usio

n an

d/or

diffi

culti

es in

ad

oles

cenc

e. T

his

will

incl

ude

acce

ssib

le yo

uth

cafe

s, th

e m

enta

l hea

lth re

silie

nce

prog

ram

me,

the

yout

h m

ento

ring

prog

ram

me,

‘Wor

k to

Lea

rn’ p

rogr

amm

es.

Serv

ices

exp

ande

d to

mee

t the

nee

ds o

f 10

new

youn

g

peop

le p

er ye

ar

Osso

ry Y

outh

2016

-202

0

13.1

2.14

To im

plem

ent t

he fi

ndin

gs c

onta

ined

in th

e LG

BTI R

esea

rch

“The

Rai

nbow

Rep

ort –

LG

BTI H

ealth

Nee

ds &

Exp

erie

nces

& H

ealth

Sec

tor R

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9. IMPLEMENTATION & MONITORING

The implementation period for the Kilkenny Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) is 2016 – 2021.

All stakeholders involved must ensure they collaborate and allocate the necessary resources for the

successful implementation of all of the actions contained in the LECP.

Agencies given a lead role will have primary responsibility for ensuring that the actions listed in the LECP

are implemented, and they will be asked to provide regular updates on their delivery.

Monitoring of the economic actions of the LECP will be the responsibility of Kilkenny County Council’s SPC

for Economic Development, Enterprise Support and Tourism (SPC1).

Monitoring of the community and social inclusion actions of the LECP will be the responsibility of the

County Kilkenny Local Community Development Committee (LCDC).

An LECP Advisory Group will also be established to comprise representatives from the LCDC and SPC1

to oversee the overall monitoring and implementation of the LECP. The Chairs of the LCDC and SPC1 will

sit on the Advisory Group, along with nominated members from each Committee.

The Southern and Eastern Regional Assembly are to establish an ‘Economic Strategy Forum’ which will

also have a monitoring role in relation to the LECP. Kilkenny County Council (in conjunction with the

Regional Assembly) will develop the appropriate structures to enable regional co-operation, monitoring

and effective implementation of the LECP at regional level.

In the final quarter of each year, the LECP Advisory Group, support staff for SPC1 and the LCDC will

engage with all of the stakeholder organisations and agencies to prepare an annual action plan for the

following year.

The annual action plan will comprise a list of the prioritised actions from the LECP to be delivered in that

year. The annual plans will include details of the organisations and agencies to be engaged in the delivery

of each action, along with baseline figures (where available), key performance indicators, milestones and

outcomes/ targets to be delivered in that year. The annual action plans will be equality-proofed across

the nine grounds outlined in the Equal Status Acts 2000-2012 in conjunction with the lead agencies

responsible for the delivery of the actions as outlined in the proofing section of this plan.


The annual actions plans will be presented to SPC1 and the LCDC for approval at their first meeting each year.

It should be noted that the first annual action plan will be finalised by the end of Quarter 2 of 2016 and

will cover the period until the end of 2017.

SPC1 and the LCDC will monitor the implementation of the annual action plans at their subsequent

meetings throughout the year and address any issues arising.

The LECP will be flexible to allow additional actions and ideas to be added as they emerge over the period

of the plan.

The Chairs of the LCDC and SPC1 will provide a written report on the progress of the implementation of the

community and economic actions respectively, to Kilkenny County Council , and the three Municipal District

Councils bi-annually. These progress reports will be published and will identify areas for further action.

Planning, monitoring and evaluation are ongoing processes. There is constant feedback, learning and

improving. Actions outlined in the LECP will be regularly reviewed and modified based on the lessons

learned through monitoring and evaluation, and any future actions can be developed based on these

lessons. Such review and modification shall also be subject to Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

and Appropriate Assessment (AA) Screening processes as appropriate. Implementation of the LECP will

also conform to:

l The Regional Planning Guidelines and the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy when that is in

place, and

l The provisions of the Kilkenny County and City Development Plans and Local Area Plans, including those

provisions requiring sustainable development and protection and management of the environment.

The implementation of the LECP depends, in part, on the ability of both the LCDC and SPC1 and other

stakeholders to carry out evaluation of actions to help inform decision making. The focus will be on what

is working, why and in what context; how could it be done differently for better results; and how this

knowledge or approach can be applied to other contexts. Key decision makers involved in delivering the

LECP actions will use evaluations to make necessary improvements and adjustments to the implementation

approach or strategies, and to decide on alternatives. On-going evaluation will also help ensure the LECP

is aligned with and supports county, national, EU and other key strategies.

The results and outcomes outlined in the LECP high level goals and actions will be monitored to ensure:

l The outcomes agreed under each action are being achieved. This is a collective responsibility for the

LCDC, SPC1 and all stakeholders.

l The annual action plan produces the envisaged outcomes in an efficient manner. This will include

ensuring appropriate use of resources.

l Decisions and changes to actions, programmes and projects are based on sound evidence.

l Lessons learned are systematically captured to improve future actions and outcomes.

l Implementation of the LECP progresses towards achieving the EU2020 targets.


APPENDIX I: MEMBERSHIPS OF LCDC AND SPC1(as at end of December 2015)

Kilkenny Local Community Development Committee

Name Organisation

Sean McKeown Local Enterprise Office

Loretto O’Driscoll Teagasc

Eileen Curtis Education & Training Board

Mary Barron Department of Social Protection

Cllr David Fitzgerald Elected Representative

Cllr Andrew McGuinness Elected Representative

Cllr Eamon Aylward Elected Representative

Cllr Mary Hilda Cavanagh Elected Representative

Elizabeth Dermody Comm. & Voluntary - Ossory Youth (PPN Community Pillar)

Martin CarrollComm. & Voluntary - Castlecomer Enterprise Group (PPN Community Pillar))

Fergus KeaneChairperson as of December 2015 - Social Inclusion - Good Shepherd Centre (PPN Social Inclusion Pillar)

Mary O’Hanlon Social Inclusion - OPF (PPN Social Inclusion Pillar)

PJ Cleere Social Inclusion Disability - KFSIP (PPN Social Inclusion Pillar)

Sheila Donnelly Family Resource Centres

Niall McManus KK Cycling & Walking Campaign (PPN Environment Pillar)

John Bambrick IFA

Martin Costello Chamber of Commerce

Declan Rice CKLP

Colette Byrne CEO, Kilkenny County Council

Nickey Brennan Acting Independent Chairperson (until end October 2015)

LCDC Support Staff

Maria Melia Chief Officer

Bríd Hynes, Lindsey Butler, Lisa Bourke


SPC for Economic Development, Enterprise Support & Tourism

Cllr Pat Millea Chairman

Cllr Peter Cleere Elected Representative

Cllr Tomas Breathnach Elected Representative

Cllr Michael Doyle Elected Representative

Cllr Patrick O’Neill Elected Representative

Cllr Patrick McKee Elected Representative

Cllr Pat Fitzpatrick Elected Representative

Mr Phil Funchion Trade Union Rep

Mr Michael Kennedy CIF Rep

Mr John Bambrick IFA Rep

Ms Deirdre Shine Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce Rep

Ms Theresa Delahunty Social Inclusion Pillar Rep, PPN

Mr Charles Wani Social Inclusion Pillar Rep, PPN

SPC Support Staff

Martin Prendiville Head of Finance

Sean McKeown Head of Enterprise

Brian Tyrell Senior Executive Officer

Stephen O’Connor Administrative Officer

Aisling Hayes Administrative Officer


APPENDIX II: CONSULTATIONS AND DESK RESEARCH (i) Plans and Strategies reviewedThe following reports and strategies were reviewed and informed the development of this plan.

1. Ireland’s National Traveller / Roma Integration Strategy 2011 – 2016

2. Better Outcomes Brighter Futures: The national policy framework for children & young people

2014 - 2020

3. The South East Homelessness Action Plan 2013 – 2016

4. National Social Housing Strategy 2020)

5. National Disability Strategy Implementation Plan 2013-2015

6. National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007-2016

7. Rural Social Inclusion: Rural Poverty and Social Exclusion on the Island of Ireland – Context, Policies

and Challenges by Dr. Kathy Walsh, KW Research and Associates Ltd. 2010

8. Building Strong and Inclusive Communities: A regional strategy for LGBT Inclusion and Support in

the South East 2013-2018

9. OECD Delivering Local Development: Ireland 2013

10. Guidance on Community-led Local Development in European Structural and Investment Funds

Version 2: May 2014

11. Healthy Ireland – A framework for Improved Health and Wellbeing 2013 – 2018

12. A Draft Framework Policy for Local and Community Development in Ireland March 2015

13. Kilkenny Age Friendly Strategy 2011-2015

14. Uniting the Diverse- Kilkenny Integration Strategy 2013-2017

15. Kilkenny Traveller Interagency Group reports

16. Kilkenny Traveller Community Movement (KTCM) 2020 Strategy

17. South East Traveller Health Unit Strategic Plan 2015-2020

18. Ferrybank Community Development Strategy 2015-2020

19. Kilkenny Recreation & Sports Partnership

20. Kilkenny County Council Estate Management Strategic Plan 2015-2020

21. Kilkenny Social Housing Strategy

22. Strategic Framework for Family Support within the Family and Community Services Resource

Centre Programme. Family Support Agency Revised Edition January 2013.

23. One Parent National Strategy

24. South East Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force DRAFT 2015 Priorities

25. Our Community, Our Conversation: Co Kilkenny Action Plan for Suicide Prevention 2014 – 2018

Lifeline Kilkenny

26. Action Programme for Effective Local Government – Putting People First

27. Action Plan for Jobs 2015


28. South East Region Action Plan for Jobs 2015-2017

29. Construction 2020 – A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sector

30. Delivering our Green Potential – Government Policy Statement on Growth and Employment in the

Green Economy

31. Energising Ireland’s Rural Economy – Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas

(CEDRA).

32. Food Harvest 2020

33. Local Government Sectoral Strategy to Promote Employment and Support Local Enterprise -

Supporting Economic Recovery and Jobs – Locally

34. Making it Happen – Growing Enterprise for Ireland

35. Our Sustainable Future – A Framework for Sustainable Development for Ireland

36. Regional Planning Guidelines for the South East 2010-2022

37. Kilkenny County Development Plan 2014 -2020

38. Kilkenny City Development Plan 2014-2020

39. National Spatial Strategy 2002-2020

40. A Strategy for Growth: Medium-Term Economic Strategy 2014 – 2020

41. Indecon Report on CDBs

42. National Policy Statement on Entrepreneurship 2014

43. Europe 2020 Strategy and National Reform Programme for Ireland

44. Local Roots Global Reach ‘Food Wise 2025 – A 10-Year Vision for the Irish agri-food industry.’

(Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine).

45. Regional Indicators Report - 2014: Monitoring Framework for Implementation of the Regional

Planning Guidelines

46. People, Place and Policy – Growing Tourism to 2025 (Fáilte Ireland)


Profile of Mainstream & voluntary Services

The following services were identified and considered in the development of this plan.

Kilkenny County Council is responsible for the provision of an extensive range of public services in Kilkenny.

In addition, local authorities promote the interests of the local community, including the social, economic,

environmental, recreational, cultural, community and general development of Kilkenny.

Local Enterprise Office provides advice, information and support to you in starting up or growing your

business. With 31 dedicated teams across the local authority network in Ireland, Local Enterprise Offices

offer you a wide range of experience, skills and services.

The Local Enterprise Office is for people interested in starting up a new business or already in business

including entrepreneurs, early-stage promoters, start-ups and small business looking to expand.

Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) is the new social inclusion programme that

took over from its successor programme the Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP).

It aims to tackle poverty, social exclusion and long-term unemployment through local engagement and

partnership between disadvantaged individuals, community organisations and public sector agencies.

Department of Social Protection plays a key role in supporting those most in need, including children and

their parents, people who are unemployed, ill, carers, people with disabilities and older people.

SOLAS Employment & Training Services has been established to develop and give strategic direction to the

Further Education and Training Sector in Ireland. It is responsible for funding, planning and co-ordinating

a wide range of training and further education programmes.

County Kilkenny LEADER Partnership is a Local Development Company operating the Social Inclusion

Activation Programme and the Rural Development Programme in the county.

TUSLA Child & Family Agency is the dedicated State agency responsible for improving wellbeing and

outcomes for children.

Carlow/Kilkenny HSE services provide a wide range of health and personal social services to Carlow and

Kilkenny.

Carlow Kilkenny Educational and Training Board (ETB) - In the past, the Vocational Educational Committees

(VECs) were the main providers of further education in Ireland. ETBs are the new statutory education

authorities, formed from the aggregation of Ireland’s 33 VECs (abolished on 1 July) and the integration

of the 16 FÁS Training Centres (on-going in 2014), will be the vehicles for the delivery of coordinated

education and training programmes across Ireland.


Teagasc - the Agriculture and Food Development Authority - is the national body providing integrated

research, advisory and training services to the agriculture and food industry and rural communities

Kildalton College is the largest agricultural college in the county and is located in Piltown, County Kilkenny.

This college meets the agricultural needs of all students in the region who want full-time agricultural

training. The educational focus is on providing Level 6 agricultural distance training to non-agricultural

award holders. In addition there are also short courses on farm health and safety, financial management,

dairy new entrant, environmental and options courses.

Ring a Link is a non-profit making, charitable organisation funded by the Department of Transport, offering

affordable and convenient transport for rural dwellers of Counties Carlow, Kilkenny and South Tipperary.

Ring a Link services are demand responsive and door-to-door.

Health Promotion & Improvement, Health & Wellbeing Division, HSE -the work of the Health and Wellbeing

Division is focused on helping people to stay healthy and well, reducing health inequalities and protecting

people from threats to their health and wellbeing. It was established based on two fundamental policy

shifts within the health service: Future Health, which describes the new structures currently being

established for the healthcare system and Healthy Ireland, the Government’s Framework to improve the

health and wellbeing of our population.

Social Inclusion and Substance Misuse Unit, HSE - Aims to improve access to mainstream services, target

services to marginalised groups, address inequalities in access to health services; and enhance the

participation and involvement of socially excluded groups and local communities in the planning, design,

delivery, monitoring and evaluation of health services.

Groups targeted specifically include marginalised groups identified (includes homeless people, minority

ethnic communities, Travellers, illicit drug users, those from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual/

transgender communities, people with problematic or dependent alcohol use and people with HIV/ AIDS).

Main youth service providers; Ossory Youth, Foróige, Macra na Feirme: Scouting Ireland, Family Resource

Centres (FRCs).

Kilkenny County Childcare Committee supports the development of a quality early childhood care and

education sector throughout Kilkenny City and County.

Kilkenny Citizens Information Centre provides a free and confidential information service on all aspects

of the social services including housing, health, social welfare, law, employment, pensions, and tax and

consumers affairs. It has three outreach offices: Kilkenny City, Graiguenamanagh and Mooncoin.

Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) is the State’s money advice service, guiding people through

dealing with problem debt.


Family Resource Centres: There are four Family Resource Centres (FRCs) operating in Kilkenny: The

Fr. McGrath FRC services a section of western Kilkenny City; Droichead FRC services the Callan area;

Newpark Close FRC services a segment of the eastern part of the city based around that titular housing

estate, and The Mill FRC is located in Urlingford. Key services provided by FRCs include:

• The provision of family support, information and advice at local level;

• Practical assistance to community groups (such as training, information, advice and use of shared

facilities);

• Education courses and training opportunities;

• Childcare facilities for those attending courses provided by the programme;

• After-school clubs.

Kilkenny Traveller Community Movement (KTCM) is a Traveller-led organisation which supports Travellers

and Traveller community development throughout County Kilkenny. KTCM aims to provide a supportive

environment for all Travellers in County Kilkenny to work together and make progress. There are four

programmes attached to the KTCM – The Traveller Health Project, The Traveller Participation Project, the

Traveller Childcare and After School programmes and the Kilkenny Traveller Horse Project.

Kilkenny Traveller Interagency Group is an interagency group that looks at integrated service delivery priorities

for the Traveller Community, and includes Travellers as partners in the identification of these priorities.

Kilkenny Local Traveller Accommodation Committee has responsibility for developing an annual

accommodation plan for Travellers in the county.

Kilkenny Sports & Recreation Partnership (KRSP) is one of a series of county-based sports partnerships

established by the Irish Sports Council. It is comprised of a wide range of interest groups in the county,

from voluntary sports clubs, local development, health promotion and other relevant agencies.

Other specialised services: The Good Shepherd Centre provides short-term accommodation for homeless

men while the Amber Kilkenny Women’s Refuge Services provides a similar service to women. Immigrant

services and Fáilte Isteach projects provide information, integration and language supports to the

immigrant community. Kilkenny Integration Forum provides activities, projects, forums and events to

assist in the integration process at local level.

Kilkenny Forum for Social Inclusion and Participation is a federation of community-based organisations for

combating inequalities and promoting social justice.

Kilkenny Public Participation Network (PPN) is the framework for public engagement and participation.

The PPN will be the main link through which the local authority connects with the community, social

inclusion and environmental sectors. The aim of the PPN is to facilitate and enable public organisations

operating within the wider community to articulate and give voice to a diverse range of views, issues and

interests within the local government system.



AA Appropriate Assessment

AFC Age Friendly County

AFA Age Friendly Alliance

AIP Annual Implementation Plan

APJ Action Plan for Jobs

CEDRA Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas

CKLP County Kilkenny LEADER Partnership

CLÁR Ceantair Laga Árd-Riachtanais

CSB Community Support Budget

CSF Community Support Framework

CSP Community Services Programme

DAF Dormant Accounts Fund

DAFM Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine

DAP Disability Activation Programme

DECLG Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government

DCCOI Design & Crafts Council of Ireland

DCU Dublin City University

DCYA Department of Children and Youth Affairs

DECLG Department of the Environment Community and Local Government

DED District Electoral Division

DEIS Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools

DES Department of Education and Skills

DSP Department of Social Protection

DTTAS Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

DRUM Foroige Youth Facility and Drop–in

EA Employment Activation

ED Electoral Division

EI Enterprise Ireland

ETB Education and Training Board (formerly VEC) Carlow and Kilkenny

FETAC Further Education and Training Awards Council

FRC Family Resource Centre

HAT Homeless Action Team

HSE Health Service Executive

IBEC Irish Business and Employers Confederation

IDA Industrial Development Authority

ITC Institute of technology, Carlow

KDW Kilkenny Design Workshops

KIF Kilkenny Integration Forum

KKCC Kilkenny County Council

KLDTF Kilkenny Local Drugs Task Force

KTCM Kilkenny Traveller Community Movement

KTIG Kilkenny Traveller Interagency Group

KRSP Kilkenny Recreation and Sports Partnership

LAG Local Action Group

LDC Local Development Company

LEADER Liaison Entre Actions de Development d’Economie Rurale

LEO Local Enterprise Office

LGBTI Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Intersexual

MFI Micro-Finance Ireland

NDP National Development Plan

NEETS A young person who is “Not in Education, Employment, or Training”

NSS National Spatial Strategy

NUIM National University of Ireland, Maynooth

OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

OPC Older People’s Council (formerly Older People’s Forum)

PPN Public Participation Network

RSS Rural Social Scheme

RTP Rural Transport Programme

SAC Special Areas of Conservation

SEA Strategic Environmental Assessment

SEBIC South East Business Innovation Centre

SICAP Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme

SLA Service Level Agreement

SOLAS Seirbhísí Oideachais Leanunaigh agus Scileanna

(Further Education and Training Authority)

SPAs Special Protection Areas

TUSLA The Child and Family Agency

WIT Waterford Institute of Technology

YEI Youth Employment Initiative

LECP ACRONYM INDEX 2015

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