Calls for housing developers to provide lifesaving AEDs in Laois estates
There have been calls for housing developers to be required to install automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in new estates being built in Laois.
Two Portlaoise Councillors, Cllr Barry Walsh and Cllr Tommy Mulligan, pressed Laois County Council to incorporate AEDs as a condition of planning permission in new estates in the county.
Speaking at the Laois County Council meeting on Monday, September 28, both Councillors explained that they met with Portlaoise Community First Responders who set up a new AED in Lyster Square last month.
Established in 2025, Portlaoise Community First Responders is a group of local volunteers who have trained with the National Ambulance Service to respond to health emergencies in the locality. There are ten volunteers with the group and they attend around 20 call outs a month.
Praising the work of the Portlaoise Community First Responders, Cllr Mulligan said their “work is invaluable.”
Currently there are six public AEDs around the town and the group believes another five are needed to adequately cover the area.
However, Laois County Council have said that it would not be “considered appropriate” to require the provision of AEDs as a condition for residential planning permission.
The Council said they acknowledge the significant public health benefits associated with the availability of AEDs and would support initiatives that support access to lifesaving equipment within communities.
Despite this, they said such a planning requirement would be better suited for national legislation to ensure a uniform and coordinated approach.
“I have personal experience with this and I see how important they are to have in several locations. A few seconds can make a huge difference in saving someone’s life,” Cllr Walsh told the Council.
Cllr Mulligan urged the Council to reconsider their position on the matter and was supported by fellow councillors.
Both Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald and Cllr Marie Tuohy said they have committed discretionary funding for AEDs in the past and they cannot understand why this couldn’t be made into a planning requirement.
“It makes no sense whatsoever. It’s only a small ask from a developer. We should seriously look at this again. My own family has needed it. I can’t understand why we can’t do it as a Council,” the Laois County Council Cathaoirleach said.
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