Performance Report Offers Praise & Flags Areas Of Improvement for Wicklow County Council

Wicklow is strong on housing vacancy and online motor tax, but re-letting times and retrofits lag behind national picture, reports NOAC.

The National Oversight and Audit Commission's 12th annual performance report offers a mixed bag of feedback for Wicklow County Council.  While outperforming national averages on empty-homes and digital services, the council is also falling well behind on how quickly vacant council houses are returned to use.

Speaking to East Coast FM news, Michael McCarthy of NOAC explained the report draws on data supplied directly by coordinators in each of the country's 31 local authorities. It allows the commission to track trends across a range of services year on year.  

So what does this year's report have to say about Wicklow? In short, fair but could do better. 

HOUSING VACANCY: AHEAD OF THE CURVE

On housing vacancy, Wicklow recorded a rate of 1.86%, a figure described as "very healthy" given the council manages roughly 5,380 houses.  It places Wicklow favourably against other local authorities nationally, with many recording higher vacancy rates.

Local representatives are concerned the figure doesn't match what they see on the ground should. NOAC points out the data is not self-reported in isolation, but compiled by a team working directly with each council's own data coordinators.

RE-LETTING TIMES: WICKLOW'S WEAK SPOT

The report's news is less positive on how long it takes to bring a vacant or derelict council house back onto the market in Wicklow. The council's average re-letting time stands at 44 weeks, much higher than the national average of 32 weeks.

Asked where accountability lies, Michael McCarthy pointed first to Wicklow's directly elected councillors, who hold the council executive to account and are themselves answerable to voters at local elections.

McCarthy acknowledges the frustration felt by residents and public representatives when services are delivered slowly, but says NOAC's role is to track trends over time, identify local authorities that perform well in a given area, and use its annual good practice seminar to encourage under-performing councils to adopt those practices.

RETROFITTING: A NATIONAL SHORTFALL

On home energy retrofitting, Wicklow recorded 101 units; a figure McCarthy says reflects a wider, more troubling national pattern. Across all 31 local authorities, retrofit numbers have not surpassed 3,000 units a year for the past three years.

MOTOR TAX: A DIGITAL SUCCESS STORY

The report's standout result for Wicklow comes in motor tax digitisation!  88% of transactions are now completed online, a jump up from figures in the 20s and 30s when NOAC began compiling its performance indicator reports a decade ago.

The improvement is linked to investment in social media and digital engagement, and to a broader shift in how councils support residents who are less comfortable transacting online.  

SO, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

NOAC does not set policy or funding. It works to ensure good practice identified in one area is shared with other councils through its annual good practice seminar and cross-authority workshops. Rather than singling out councils that perform poorly on a given measure, the emphasis is on showcasing what strong performers are doing.  The hope is that data makes real difference!