Wexford County Council

Wexford County Council (Irish: Comhairle Contae Loch Garman) is the local authority of County Wexford, Ireland.

Wexford County Council provides a wide range of essential public services to more than 163,000+ people living in County Wexford and to the business community. These include housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and environment. The council has 34 elected members.

The Economic Development Department along with the Local Enterprise Office support and encourage existing businesses while also working together to attract new business opportunities to the county. The Economic Development Department strives to make Wexford a business-friendly county for all industries while the Local Enterprise Office provides grant aid and other support services to micro-enterprise.

Investments of over €530m saw the opening of two major strategic road schemes, M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy bypass and the N25 New Ross bypass in 2019 and 2020 respectively. These two combined, dramatically improved the overall connectivity and accessibility of Wexford and the entire Southeast Region. Increased investment in infrastructure connects these major roads to Rosslare Europort also which is growing in national importance and is now Ireland’s No 1 port for direct RoRo/Pax services to Europe. A further investment of €400m, the N11/ N25 Oylegate to Rosslare Harbour Scheme is currently at Design and Environmental Assessment stage and represents an important investment to ensure the future capacity and resilience of the access to the port which is critical to sustaining the ports strategic connection with the UK and the continent.

Wexford County Council prides itself on being very supportive of business, innovation, and entrepreneurship. One important area where the County Council plays a key role is in sourcing property for new companies. Businesses want to know where they are going to be located in 6 months’ time, not in two or three years, so we need to be able to offer them property solutions such as quality office space, suitable industrial units or serviced industrial sites.

The Council has prioritised the ability to provide ready made property solutions to new or existing businesses over the past number of years.

Through a series of successful public-private partnerships, significant investments have been made in the provision of premium office space at the M11 Business Campus in Gorey, modern office facilities and industrial development opportunities at Enniscorthy Technology Park, the ongoing development of the landmark Trinity Wharf Business Park in Wexford Town, and serviced development lands at Butlersland, New Ross, and Kilmore Quay

These investments have strengthened Wexford’s business infrastructure and enhanced the county’s attractiveness as an investment location. In addition, commercial lease rates in Wexford remain highly competitive when compared with the Greater Dublin Area, providing businesses with a significant cost advantage and contributing to a lower overall cost of doing business. 

Tourism is a key sector in County Wexford. The Council’s plans for major development at the National Heritage Park, Hook Lighthouse and with a new Norman heritage centre in New Ross will create state of the art tourist destination facilities which will attract significant numbers of tourists. The completion of the New Ross to Waterford greenway, together with the proposed Forth Mountain Activity centre will attract tourists interested in outdoor recreation experiences.

County Wexford boasts some of Ireland’s most famous beaches, including the 6 Blue Flag beaches of Curracloe, Morriscastle, Rosslare, Duncannon, Carne and Ballinesker, as well as the scenic Hook Peninsula and Hook Lighthouse, the oldest operating lighthouse in the world. 

Wexford County Council is actively supporting the growth of the creative industries through Screen Wexford, the county’s dedicated film office, which promotes and facilitates film and television production. The proposed Tara Film Studios development near Kilanerin is expected to create approximately 620 jobs and further strengthen Wexford’s position as an international film production destination. The county’s strong cultural offering, including the internationally recognised Wexford Festival Opera and the Kennedy Summer School, enhances quality of life, attracts visitors and investment, and delivers significant economic and cultural benefits to the region.

For further details on Wexford County Council, see wexfordcoco.ie