Websites were the most widely used channel to engage with local authorities during 2025, according to the fifth annual report by the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) and the ‘Local Government Customer Service Report’ also revealed an increase in the use of social media and instant messaging channels, compared to previous years. 

This increase was found particularly among younger respondents, while older age groups maintain a preference for traditional channels of engagement such as phone and in-person contact:

Presenting findings from the national survey of over 2,000 respondents in 2025, the LGMA annual report tracks trends in service awareness, engagement, and satisfaction with local government services across all regions in Ireland. The report shows that satisfaction levels for popular local authority services remain high. Library services, the register of electors, and recycling all recorded satisfaction rates above 70%. Sports and leisure facilities were also favoured, reaching a satisfaction rate of 72%.

Variations in service awareness and satisfaction by age, gender and region are revealed in the report. For example, Dublin respondents gave street lighting in urban areas the highest rating of all regions in Ireland, while traffic flow received the highest rating from respondents in Connacht/Ulster.

For more information on how and why people engage with local authorities in your region, and their thoughts about the services delivered, click on the full report.

Background: Since 2021, the LGMA has been responsible for an annual local government customer service research programme. The LGMA engages with the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) each year to agree a ‘special topic’ relating to customer service delivery that needs to be explored in some detail.

In 2025, it was agreed to look at the impact of branding on low levels of awareness about key services provided by local authorities. The first objective of the research was to identify the reasons why people did not know that local authorities were responsible for delivering services, who they thought delivered these services, and whether they recognised any of the logos used across the sector.

The second objective was to explore how to address the issues raised through identification of challenges and possible solutions with staff and elected members. Combined, these provide a comprehensive overview of the current status in the sector and a road map of possible actions that could be taken to improve service awareness levels.