24/10/2026
Solidarity statement on the Council's adoption of the Dunsink Urban Area Plan:
After 16 hours of debate on 240 motions over 4 days the Dunsink Urban Area Plan has been ratified by Fingal councillors.
We were presented with a flawed plan. Prior to the meeting, the great majority of the key motions from councillors about density, infrastructure and the environment had not been accepted by the management. Yet over the course of the four days of debate some substantial gains in the proposed framework were won.
We tabled and supported motions which saw some reduction in the allowed residential density ranges, progress of the Luas, improved ecological, biodiversity, climate and green infrastructure protections, protecting Scribblestown and Dunsinea lanes, making provision for the Traveller communities and enhanced noise abatement measures for the homes near the M50.
We had joint motions with other parties which strengthened the protections for Dunsink Observatory and its application to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Detailed presentations from the Executive and technical staff did offer a measure of confidence in their continued monitoring and remediation of the historic regulated and illegal landfills on the site, however there will need to be a continued focus and scrutiny on this area.
Crucially, two Solidarity motions were passed on permanently retaining the ownership of housing built on public lands in the hands of families, the council or approved housing bodies and prohibiting commercial / corporate entities (vulture funds) from acquiring these homes. Our motions also secured a vital education delivery strategy as part of the plan.
Legitimate concerns still exist about the educational, social, and community infrastructure required to support the new homes, the timelines on delivery of the Luas and other public transport infrastructure, residential densities, the impact on traffic both in the construction phase and after completion and other issues.
Solidarity public representatives voted with significant reservations for the adoption of the amended plan on the basis that improvements had been secured and that, if the amended plan wasn’t ratified, the weaker unamended version put forward by the Council Executive would be adopted by default. This would have meant that all the key improvements we fought for and won were null and void.
The Dunsink UAP is the overarching framework for the development. It is not the last word on a macro project that will run over the next 20 years. At least some of the outstanding issues can be addressed at future planning stages which will be required for each of the individual developments within the overall urban area plan. Solidarity will continue to work with the surrounding communities in Castleknock, Blanchardstown, Ashtown and Finglas in relation to the issues raised and with the new communities in Dunsink.
At every step of the way we will fight to ensure this plan actually leads to the delivery of social and affordable homes and the necessary infrastructure to support thriving communities, where protection of biodiversity and heritage is central.
The final thing to note is how limited and undemocratic this entire process has been. Fingal County Council has failed to give communities and councillors the necessary space, time and transparency to fully engage with what is the biggest housing development in a generation.
In theory, Urban Area Plans are a reserved councillor function. But in practice the Council Executive has most of the control. We were presented with their vision and then tasked with modifying that plan. This is not a collaborative approach, but it’s indicative of the shallow and superficial nature of local democracy in Ireland which is a de facto strategy of the capitalist political establishment.
