ISSUE 11 - November 2023
ISSUE 11 - November 2023 currently recruiting. As I mentioned previously 40% of the workforce in the County currently commute. Kildare County Council offers a suite of family friendly working arrangements to those who would like to live and work in their own community. We have also rolled out blended working throughout the organisation. As an employer the Council offers many training, education and promotional opportunities to its staff. As someone who did not receive a third level qualification until much later in life I can attest to the importance of life long learning and the support that the Council offers to its staff. In relation to the future of work I feel there are significant opportunities for employers in the County to be realised by embracing a blended working or hybrid working model. Kildare County Council and its partners have created a cluster of Hubs and Innovation Spaces that offer flexible options for all types of coworking spaces. These spaces operate with the help and support of the Local Enterprise and Economic Development Team and are strategically located across the county: Enterprise Development - Local Enterprise Office - Kildare
IN THE HOT SEAT
Kildare is a business centre of excellence within Ireland and is known for its attractiveness for international investment. How does Kildare’s Economic Development Team work with other stakeholders, including the Chamber, IDA and others, to help support business growth in the county?
With Sonya Kavanagh
Your career in Kildare County Council began over 20 years ago, and last year you became Chief Executive. What do you believe are the key lessons for local government from your time in senior management and in your current role? As a Kildare native who has lived and worked in County Kildare all of my life I have seen significant change. During my 29 year career in Local Government the population of Kildare has doubled to just under 250,000. Kildare has always been a county with a significant urban / rural mix but this has been accentuated over the past 20 years. The latest census data confirms that there are now 7 large urban towns in the County with populations in excess of 10,000. As a Local Authority we have to continue to deliver essential services whilst also progressing major strategic capital projects. Our focus is on facilitating and supporting balanced and sustainable development so that Kildare remains an attractive place to live, work, visit, study and do business. Kildare has undergone significant transformation over the past few decades and has emerged as a key player in Ireland’s economy. Kildare County Council plays a critical role in facilitating this growth by overseeing the administration and
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management of public services. As CEO of KCC, what would you highlight as key drivers of Kildare’s standout position in the Irish economy and what are the main challenges the region currently faces? Kildare’s location in the Greater Dublin Area presents many opportunities but it also brings challenges. Three towns in North Kildare are included in the Dublin Metropolitan Area and Maynooth is designated as a Key Growth Town. Kildare is well connected and accessible due to it’s 3 motorways, rail and public transport network. We have a vibrant SME sector and a strong FDI base. Although some parts of our county are becoming more urbanised, agriculture and the equine sector continue to play important roles in the economy of County Kildare. Kildare is also home to Maynooth University and has a highly skilled, young workforce. Approximately 40% of the workforce currently commute out of the county so there are opportunities for businesses based in Kildare to attract employees with a quality of life proposition. Kildare has also out-performed most other counties in Ireland in terms of the number of houses delivered. However, the delivery of adequate, affordable housing is still a significant challenge for our County, and this is coupled with the objective to deliver complementary community facilities and amenities.
Since coming into the role of Chief Executive last year, what have you identified as the key opportunities and challenges that you would like to work on during your term? I’ve set out the opportunities and challenges facing Kildare above. My overall objective for my term of office is to create a fit for purpose organisation driving Sustainable Economic, Social and Cultural Development in a Climate Resilient County. This is an exceptionally big ask but it is the vision that Kildare County Council’s 1100 employees are working towards. Our staff are our greatest resource and they have dealt with the challenges of Covid and the war in Ukraine with good will and flexibility. It is worth mentioning that as the fifth most populated county in Ireland we have a historically low base of funding and staffing per head of population. Recruitment and changing working styles are challenges faced by nearly every sector and industry in Ireland, Local Authorities are no different. What approach has Kildare County Council take to new working styles and where do you see trends in working styles going? Recruitment and retention are a significant challenge for the Council as many Public Sector organisations and the Civil Service are
In 2022, you became one of eight female CE’s to lead a Local Authority. Steps are being taken at national and government level to highlight gender imbalance. Do you believe more needs to be done and what steps are Kildare County Council taking to ensure a diverse and balanced workplace? As the first woman to hold the post of Chief Executive in Kildare County Council I’ve been asked this type of question a lot. During my career I have had line managers who have become mentors (male and female) who have given me fantastic opportunities and who advised me and counselled me. I also had the opportunity to study and learn and to gain valuable management and leadership experience. One of my line managers, in particular, helped to shape my career. She was one of the few women in a senior position in the Council. It seems incredulous now but because of the “marriage ban” that was in place (and only lifted in 1973) the only women who had continued working in the public sector were women who hadn’t married. As the only woman at that level my mentor was an inspiration to me and to other women. Jennifer O’Connell writing in the Irish Times said “For women, ambition is sometimes seen as a dirty word. The rationale seems to go that
it’s one thing to have success foisted upon you; it is another, entirely less lovely, thing to actively hunger for it. If you’re a woman, saying you got lucky is fine. Saying “I deserve this, because I worked so hard to get it” is still, even in a more feminist world, much less socially acceptable.” So yes I have to say that I am ambitious and I didn’t just end up here by chance. I have worked hard and made the most of every opportunity that presented itself. I have worked in Corporate Services, the Housing Department, Roads, Transport & Public Safety, Economic Community & Cultural Development and Human Resources. I lead an organisation of 1100 people and our revenue budget for this year is 199 million euro. I am hugely proud of the work that the Council does on a daily basis for the people of Kildare. I am also proud that the Management Team of Kildare County Council now has a gender balance and that the organisation that I lead is a genuine equal opportunities employer. The World Economic Forum has said that supporting gender parity is critical to ensuring strong, cohesive and resilient societies around the world. Over the past 20 years we have come from an entirely male dominated landscape to a more level playing field. This is a process and even though there is still plenty to do to achieve equality in all arenas I really feel like we are heading in the right direction.
We work with our partners in County Kildare Chamber, the IDA and Enterprise Ireland on a daily basis to attract new business to the county but also to support and connect with existing businesses and companies, be they indigenous or FDI. It is our strong relationships with our partners that is key to delivering on our Economic Development and Enterprise objectives. The Economic Development Strategy “Towards 2025” sets out 8 key focus areas; Indigenous Industry/SMEs
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Knowledge Economy Equine Industry
Agri Food Sector
Sustainable Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure Retail
Climate Action & Green Economy The Strategy provides a roadmap for attracting new investment, sustaining existing industry and enterprises and ensuring long-term sustainable growth. The Council is committed to continuing to encourage, facilitate and support the economic development of our county and believe that the implementation of this strategy will create an energy and commitment that will propel county Kildare to the fore of economic innovation and make it an even greater place to live, work and do business.
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