NOAC Report Highlights Strong Performance Across Key Services in County Louth
Louth County Council has welcomed the publication of the NOAC Local Authority Performance Indicator Report 2025, which highlights strong performance across a range of key services, including housing, fire, economic development, community participation and financial management.
Published annually by the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC), the report provides an independent assessment of local authority work across 11 service areas and 46 performance indicators, identifying both areas of achievement and opportunities for improvement.
Housing performance was among the standout results. Louth County Council recorded a social housing vacancy rate of just 1.55%, significantly below the national average of 2.44%, while the average time taken to return vacant homes to use was 23.84 weeks, substantially lower than the national average of 32.08 weeks. During 2025, the Council also added 227 homes to its housing stock and completed energy retrofit works on 142 social homes, significantly above the national average of 86 homes.
The report also identified challenges within housing. Rental inspections recorded a 99.87% non-compliance rate with rental standards at first inspection, underlining the continued importance of improving measures in private rental accommodation. Addressing long-term homelessness also remains a significant challenge, with 74.53% of homeless adults classed as long-term homeless, compared with 67.77% nationally.
In fire services, Louth County Council returned the fastest full-time mobilisation times in the State for both fire and non-fire emergencies, with average times of one minute and eight seconds for fire incidents and one minute and 12 seconds for other emergency incidents. More than 67% of fire incidents were attended within 10 minutes, exceeding the national average of 58.11%.
Positive results were recorded across a number of environmental and water services indicators. Ninety-three per cent of households had access to a three-bin waste collection service, well above the national average, while 45% of schools held Green Flag status. Compliance with drinking water standards in private schemes stood at 99.48%, with 100% of registered private water schemes monitored during the year. Litter management and environmental quality were identified as areas requiring continued improvement.
Community participation was another strong area, with participation in Comhairle na nÓg among the highest in the country. Almost 95% of second-level schools in County Louth were represented, far above the national average of 67.22%.
Louth County Council also achieved the highest rate nationally for both Trading Online Voucher approvals and drawdowns through the Louth Local Enterprise Office, while continuing to support ongoing economic growth and destination development through its tourism strategy and dedicated tourism officer.
The report identified opportunities for improvement in aspects of planning and building control, while library participation also remained below national averages, highlighting the potential to further grow engagement with local library services.
The Council also reported one of the lowest rates of medically certified sick leave in the local government sector at 2.88%, compared with a national average of 3.64%, reflecting continued investment in employee wellbeing and occupational health supports. Digital service uptake also remained strong, with 82.89% of motor tax transactions conducted online during 2025.
Financially, Louth County Council continued to demonstrate good governance, reporting a revenue account surplus of €4.46 million and maintaining strong collection rates across commercial rates, rents and housing loans.
Cllr Dolores Minogue, Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council, said:
"The NOAC Performance Indicator Report provides an important independent assessment of how local authorities are delivering services for their communities, and I am encouraged by the many positive findings for County Louth.
"The report highlights strong performance across many key areas, including one of the lowest social housing vacancy rates in the country, industry-leading fire service response times, high levels of youth participation through Comhairle na nÓg, and national-leading results in supporting local businesses through the Trading Online Voucher scheme.
"It is also particularly encouraging to see the commitment of our staff reflected in areas such as low sick leave rates, strong digital service uptake, and continued investment in housing, community development and economic growth.
"While there are areas where further progress is required, particularly in addressing long-term homelessness and continuing to improve housing standards and environmental outcomes, the report demonstrates the dedication of councillors, staff and community partners who work every day to deliver quality services for the people of County Louth."
David Conway, Chief Executive of Louth County Council, said:
"The NOAC Performance Indicator Report provides an important independent assessment of local authority performance and a valuable benchmark for measuring progress and identifying opportunities to further enhance service delivery.
"With responsibility for delivering more than 1,100 services across County Louth, the report reflects the commitment and professionalism of our staff in serving communities across the county every day.
"It is encouraging to see strong results across many areas, including housing, fire services, economic development and community engagement. Equally, the report highlights areas where further progress is needed, and we will continue to use these findings to support evidence-based decision-making, service planning and continuous improvement.
"Strong governance is founded on accountability, measurement and transparency, and the NOAC process plays an important role in helping local authorities deliver the best possible outcomes for the communities they serve."
You can read the NOAC Local Authority Performance Indicator Report 2025 here.