Major drive to attract Louth graduate planners into local authorities

A major recruitment drive is underway to attract graduate planners from Louth into Ireland’s county and city councils. 

The local government initiative, being run by the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) and is funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and aunched today, aims to attract suitably qualified graduates exiting degree or masters courses in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Britain or internationally. 

Successful candidates will have the opportunity to positively shape the future development of cities, towns and villages, turning ambitious projects into reality over the coming decades. The initiative is part of the Government’s Ministerial Action Plan on Planning Resources, which sets out a roadmap to increase the pool of planning expertise in local authorities. 

A total of 43 new posts are available in 26 of the 31 county and city councils nationwide, offering a starting salary of almost €39,000, 24 days’ annual leave and a structured career allowing graduates to progress to professional planning.

The new positions offer flexibility to work in Louth and other county and city councils in Ireland. “Planners are critical to tackling the big challenges facing the world in which we live – including housing, protecting our environment, biodiversity and heritage,” said Chair of the County and City Management Association’s Planning and Land Use Committee, Liam Conneally. 

Read also: Entries now open for the Louth Business Awards 2025

“Local government plays a vital role in shaping entire communities and we now need dynamic graduate planners to join our teams across the country, where they can be involved in exciting projects, share their ideas, and learn from experienced planners. 

“This new stream of planners will have a real and direct impact on sculpting areas in which they themselves live,” added Mr Conneally, who is also Galway County Council Chief Executive.

Mateusz Ciesiolka, 24, from Dublin’s Drimnagh, graduated from TUD Bolton Street with a degree in Planning and Environmental Management. Now working with Dublin City Council, he says having a vision for an area is one of the core attractions of a planning career. 

“Planning is all about the future, you’re helping to determine the future development of your city or your village, but most importantly, we plan for people,” he said. “In a city council, no two days are the same, it’s very interesting and there are so many opportunities.”

Planner Grace Hamilton secured a graduate position with Meath County Council two months after finishing her full-time studies at Queen’s University in Belfast last August. The Co Down native said: “Every day is different, and it makes you see the world differently, there are things you wouldn’t notice otherwise, and you can see the transformation of an area from start to finish.” 

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, John Cummins, said taking on dynamic graduate planners is crucial to drive the enhancement and development of our cities, towns and villages. 

“My Department is working with the local government sector to ensure planning authorities have the requisite level of staffing, resources and expertise to efficiently and effectively perform their planning functions,” he said. “In October 2024, my Department published a Ministerial Action Plan on Planning Resources to respond to capacity challenges in the planning sector. 

“This provides a detailed roadmap to increase the pool of planning and related expertise needed to ensure a planning system fit for current and future needs. The graduate recruitment scheme is an important initiative to attract planning talent into the authorities responsible for developing our cities, towns and villages.”

The Local Government Ireland Graduate Planner Scheme is open to recent graduates with an honours Level 8 degree or higher in planning, or those who are due to graduate this year and expect to achieve an honour in a Level 8 degree or higher, and are entitled to work in the Republic of Ireland.

Visit Local Government Graduate Programme - Local Government Jobs for further details. Successful applicants are expected to take up positions in the autumn.