Since Fianna Fáil entered Government in 2020 there has been a significant increase in new houses being built, while I know this needs to continue to ramp up massively. The State and Local Authorities must have a large role in the supply of housing and if elected to Fingal County Council I would work with my colleagues to support and vote for the building of more housing developments.

I will advocate for the retention and expansion of the schemes available to help potential buyers, including the Help to Buy Scheme, First Home Scheme, Croí Cónaithe scheme, among others.

We should be providing public housing on a cost-rental basis at large scale. This will both directly provide secure and affordable housing as well as having a moderating influence on private rents. As a result of Green Party engagement, this approach has been put in place in the Council-owned land at Ballymastone in Donabate. 

We have changed the zoning of a number of areas in Fingal from employment-only to mixed-use, such as at Kilbarrack Industrial Estate. These areas will have the capacity to provide substantial housing sited on good public transport links, in mixed use developments, including also employment uses. We need more zoning changes like this, so people can get accommodation in their own areas and with good public transport, rather than being pushed out to neighbouring counties and having to drive everywhere.

We also have a quality challenge with much of our existing housing. Fingal has been carrying out major retrofits to our Council housing stock, bringing them up to efficient and healthy thermal standards, for example at Dublin St. Baldoyle and Strandmill estate, Portmarnock. It is particularly positive to see the cooperation which is enabling private houses to also be included in the programme while the contractor is on the same street. Having built capacity over the last few years, the Council is now capable of a greatly expanded retrofit programme, and is seeking increased capital funding to carry it out.

We need to get serious about land hoarding in this country & that means taxing land owners for leaving land idle and removing their planning permission if they do not use it.  We have more than enough zoned land and existing planning permissions to get us out of this housing crisis.  

I live next door to a derelict site that has been zoned with planning permission for a couple of thousand homes right beside a dart station.  It has been left derelict for almost two decades now, the land owners have consistently flipped the land and each owner keeps ignoring the planning they already have and trying to get permission for even higher density.

On the other side of me lays a site with planning permission for a hotel and retirement home, again this site has sat idle for 15 years. Imagine if we actually built a hotel and retirement home. People are crying out for step-down facilities within their communities but there are none, and long-term rentals have been turned into short-term lets because we have no hotels, it’s a crazy situation.

Landowners hoard the land to increase the value of the land and then they sell it on again, they have no intention of building badly needed homes. This should not be tolerated and hitting land hoarders in the pocket is the only way the council can resolve it.   We also need to seriously ramp up & support apprenticeships and trades so that we have adequate numbers of qualified builders,

Housing is a challenging issue in Fingal. I am, of course, committed to ensuring that everyone has access to affordable and quality housing. There are many derelict sites, that must be utilised for housing and other amenities. Derelict sites across local authorities in Dublin are tracked. However, not only is Fingal’s register of derelict sites heavily outdated, it is a physical book sitting in Fingal county council! While other local authorities across Dublin have their registers available for easy viewing on their websites, we must book an appointment with the council online to go and visit the register. If elected, I will make it a priority to modernise and update this register so that all derelict sites are subject to the appropriate levy/charges that must be paid. As someone with reasonable experience in computer science, I would be glad to volunteer my time for this as well.

Source: <https://dublininquirer.com/2024/05/08/despite-all-the-dereliction-only-five-properties-in-b albriggan-are-on-the-derelict-sites-register/>

I would contact and visit the relevant public officials in charge of housing and seek to understand their challenges, and seek to provide them any insights that thus came to me; beyond this, the most I could do is to advocate for reductions in red tape such that reasonable and appropriate developments are not stymied by undue interference from the bureaucracy. It doesn't make a great deal of sense that dozens of huge skyscraping apartment blocks can be put up in the middle of Howth (against the wishes of a vast majority of locals) and yet extensions to one's own home can encounter such fierce resistance from local government. There must be a middle way where development can be decentralised and let loose, while still being monitored properly.

Long-term, the solution is to get government (a.k.a. central planners, a.k.a. socialist-style technocrats) out of the business of business, and let we the people take care of wealth creation via the free market of mutually beneficial voluntary exchanges; the very force of natural leaderless organic organisation that powers the whole universe and got us through history on an upward trajectory to the point where societies were rich and productive enough that their governments could start hiking up the taxes in order to begin their ambitious spending programmes which year on year seem only to make things worse, and yet always call for a bigger budget (more of our money) to finally solve the problem. The truth is that capitalism is the only historically proven sustainable way forward, and yet this traditional paradigm will need to be transitioned back into over many years, because a sudden pull all the way out of our current system of socialistic crony capitalism would likely be damaging to economy and society.

I would instead advocate something like 80% less taxation, 80% less regulation, and 80% less government spending, say over the course of a decade, which I believe historical experience as well as a priori principle both vindicate and support as being the surest way to increase the quantity and quality of everything we need, from housing to education to healthcare to shoes to phones to food. Imagine if we let bureaucrats try to make our clothes, phones or food – and yet we are surprised when their attempts at building houses are prone to serial disappointment. The market has competition, thus excellence. However, to be clear, I am aware such 'classical liberal' or 'libertarian' or 'free market capitalist' thinking is not currently well understood by the Irish public, and thus such a radical change in political economy would first require extensive public debate and discourse to raise awareness of the fact that limited government is indeed the magic bullet that our dire problems have been waiting for.

When planning permission is being granted for new housing or apartments, there should be requirements for amenities and services to deal with increase in population in that area. There has been a strain on school places and crèche places in certain areas in my constituency, with schools and crèches not meeting the needs of the area due to the increased population.

This is ultimately a question of operating the planning system effectively from the start to the finish of the process. Most of the time, the requirements for amenities and services are correctly recognised and the need to provide them at the same time of the housing is accepted. However, it usually doesn’t work in practice. Often the houses come first and the amenities later.

Take Stapolin as an example. Our County Development Plan has the right policies as regards phasing of amenities. In the Stapolin Local Area Plan, detailed phasing obligations were set out. It was very positive in that the new Clongriffin train station was in one of the first planning permissions. However, at that point things started to go wrong. First the economic crash stopped all development. The result was that the people of Baldoyle have been left with a hostile “temporary” access to Clongriffin and the train station for 13 years. The 2017 planning permission for the restarted development of the area, in line with the Local Area Plan, said the area beside the station had to be developed first. The developer decided to start at the furthest part of the site from the station. I’m complaining to Fingal County Council about this breach of planning permission, but the Council’s planning enforcement leaves a lot to be desired.

It's very simple, you build homes and you build communities alongside them, which needs to be built into the planning permission. We all need the same things, shops, creches, schools, community centres, medical centres, retirement homes, playgrounds, pitches, and public transport. I am dealing with people in communities and indeed I am living with bad planning in my own estate, all fighting for the same basic things. 

We have built brand new schools with no footpaths to get to them. We have built train stations with no access and whole housing estates with no footpaths to get to any amenities. These are not legacy issues of bad planning, this is happening right now in Fingal & it's completely unacceptable. If we cannot provide footpaths, what hope have we got of providing all of the other amenities we need to thrive? 

Planning permission should only be given to build homes where these amenities exist or where they are being provided in parallel with the home building.  Imagine the work our communities could be doing together, creating better places to live, rather than using up their energy fighting for very basic amenities.

To ensure new housing developments include adequate amenities and services, I would advocate for a planning approach that integrates community needs. Essential elements like shops, schools, outdoor spaces, and well-equipped libraries are vital for thriving communities. My plan is to use zoning laws to designate areas near any new housing for community services and amenities. Making improvements to the Howth library and expanding on multi-use community centres would be key priorities, providing essential resources and spaces for community activities.

Negotiate respectfully and kindly but very assertively and directly with developers (and government officials), requiring they provide a reasonable slice of their projected profits to a local government amenities fund, and communicate well with the bureaucracy in charge of such amenities and services to ensure they are well provided.

We are an island nation and Dublin Airport is vital for our country. It is hugely beneficial for the people of Fingal to have the Airport on its doorstep, which provides huge employment and connectivity. I count myself lucky to live close-by to it. There is a trade-off with living close to the airport, with residents under the flight-path having to put up with noise pollution. I believe most people accept this during the day, whereas there is obviously more inconvenience caused by night-flights which can disrupt sleep.

The Dublin Airport Authority has breached its planning permission regarding night-time flights at the Airport. This has caused increased noise pollution for residents when they are sleeping. The DAA is now seeking to change the planning permission and remove the cap of night-time flights, and extend night-time hours. This would have an impact on residents. I am pro-Airport, but Fingal County Council must hold the DAA to account when it is in breach of planning permission. I hope An Bord Pleanala will endeavour to take into account the views of residents in terms of the DAA's plans on night-time flights and the passenger cap.

Dublin Airport’s current operations are in breach of planning conditions imposed to protect the public from noise, particularly night-time noise which disrupts sleep and damages public health. They are not following the flight paths that were outlined in the 2007 planning application for the north runway and they are exceeding the night time limit and exceeding the total passenger number limit. Infringements of planning regulations by any industry are not acceptable. 

Given the climate challenge, we need to both reduce the climate impact of each flight and passenger and manage aviation demand away from a business-as-usual trajectory. In these circumstances and with the availability of airport capacity elsewhere in Ireland there should be no expansion of Dublin Airport. Any expansion would become a “stranded asset” as EU and global policies to reduce aviation emissions take effect.

I grew up where I did because my dad worked for Aer Lingus,  I know first-hand the opportunities and the prosperity that Dublin airport brought to my family and North Dublin.  We are an island nation and the airport is hugely important to our lives and economy – it connects us to the rest of the world.  However, DAA has been a very bad neighbour in recent years.  

You and I have to abide by planning laws and so should a state institution such as the DAA. They have flouted their planning permission and must be brought to task by the central government. The level of & frequency of the noise suffered by people directly under the flight path is completely unacceptable, getting a decent night's sleep is not too much to ask and is vital for your health and well-being. 

We are in the middle of a climate crisis and the role the airport plays not just in the movement of people but of goods must be central to meeting our climate targets.

Dublin Airport is a massive job creator for Fingal and the rest of Ireland. However, its operations and expansion plans must be balanced with the needs and concerns of local residents. Living in proximity to the airport and on the flight path myself, I can appreciate the noise complaints brought forward by other residents and I believe it is important that the DAA should engage transparently with residents and all stakeholders, addressing their concerns about noise, traffic, and environmental impact appropriately before any expansions are made. Benefits such as job creation and improved infrastructure should be maximised, but not at the expense of community well-being. We need a balanced approach.

Dublin Airport is not always what one would ask for, but when we zoom out at the world as a whole, it's comparatively not too shabby. We do, however, need more strict enforcement of basic common sense, such as ensuring passengers are processed through security efficiently, and making sure that the airport is making maximum use of the land it has been granted to operate.

Simply put, there needs to be more staff, more routes, more frequency, and more reliable public transport. On this note, in my own Electoral Area it is very regrettable that under Irish Rail's DART Coastal North plans, Howth, Sutton and Bayside could potentially lose it's direct DART to the City, instead having to get a shuttle service to Howth-Junction Donaghmede.

This is a part of Dublin that by its geography, is naturally cut-off from the rest of the County. Howth is also one of the most popular tourist destinations in Dublin. It is crazy that we may see a downgrade of the public transport service to the Peninsula. I made submissions to the two public consultations held by Irish Rail on these plans, along with many others who oppose these plans. I will continue to advocate for the retention of the direct DART to the City from Howth, Sutton and Bayside. I will also advocate for improved public transport across my Electoral Area.

Another issue for users of public transport is the inaccurate real time information, as well as the lack of synchronisation between various transport apps and the digital boards. Accurate real time information would be a big improvement in terms of efficiency for commuters.

We need to build on the major improvements which we have seen in recent years, with integrated ticketing, reduced fares and Leap Cards. We need to accelerate the bus priority measures contained in Bus Connects, electrify the railways further out of the city to expand the Dart, build extra Luas lines and the Metrolink. We need to ensure the changes are improvements of services for all parts of the city, making trips easier and not introducing unnecessary interchanges as Irish Rail have floated for Howth Junction.

We need to improve the infrastructure for interchange between modes, including providing bus shelters as standard, such as at Howth station where people transferring from rail to the 6 bus have to wait in the weather. We need to ensure that all accesses to public transport are clean, safe and reliable, especially lift accesses such as that at Clongriffin. Timetabling and stopping patterns need to be designed for interchange; for example, Howth Junction and Killester should be interchange points between rail and the orbital N6 and N4 buses. A pulse timetabling approach should be used for lower frequency routes.

Camera enforcement of bus lanes is urgently needed.

Everything, but I would start with footpaths,  I mentioned before that in lots of parts of my area footpaths to schools, shops, and train stations do not exist at all.  Therefore people rightly assess that the safest thing to do is to take their car.  Where there are footpaths, many are in a bad state of repair and are trip hazards, especially for older people.  Frequently the footpaths are used for cars to park on so that seriously requires enforcement by the Gardaí.  

Bus frequency & reliability need to be improved, I’ve often waited 30 minutes for a bus and they regularly just don’t turn up at all.  I’ve recently had some success with the NTA who are now starting to put actual bus shelters at my request in my area.  Bad enough you have to wait for a bus that won't turn up but you shouldn’t have to stand, in the wind and the rain. The least we could do is provide a bit of comfort. 

Dart stations, I could talk all day about, I live beside one that I cannot use – it has had no safe access for 14 years, after a 4-year campaign where I have had meetings with Fingal, The Developer and Irish Rail I am finally in discussions with the NTA for a resolution. I live in an area that is surrounded by Dart stations but most require you to go through a dark park, dark lane, or dark tunnel – often with groups of people hanging around. Irish Rail has to up their game on lighting & safety & access for people with disabilities and buggies. Lifts must be maintained, cleaned and in working order. We also desperately need an additional line from the city centre, obviously, we need to increase capacity for the northern line but in no way should this be at the expense of the Howth line. 

With so much high-density building along the Malahide Road a Luas line would also have been of huge benefit to the area which has become one giant carpark. A rail or tram link connecting us to the airport would also transform the area and remove a huge amount of traffic.

Improving public transport in Fingal is essential for reducing traffic congestion, cutting emissions, and enhancing connectivity. I have had the opportunity to discuss research I have worked on regarding the management of traffic congestion at Sutton cross with Minister Paschal Donohoe.

I would advocate for increased investment in the expansion of bus routes. Expanding bus routes in the Howth-Malahide area is crucial, especially for school students. For example, the popular 102T bus runs at extremely low frequencies, resulting in overcrowded buses and forcing secondary school students across the peninsula to adjust their home times, in many cases, missing extra-curricular activities. No one should have to adjust their lives for public transport schedules. Extending the regular 102 route by a few more kilometres would remedy the issue.

Additionally, increasing the frequency of the 42 and 43 buses on weekends is an important step to incentivise residents to take public transport and reduce car usage. I strongly believe that improving existing bus services is the most “bang for your buck” way to make our public transport a more reliable and convenient option for all residents, ultimately reducing congestion and improving quality of life in Fingal. This will be much faster and cost-effective than any other method.

Reliability and frequency of buses and trains must be improved, and a massive effort should be put in to transform our often despairingly ugly and dirty train stations into places of beauty and order. A few pot plants. Replace steel prison bars with ivy-covered brick walls. Replace brutalist concrete stairwells with ramps with elegant railings. Machines, elevators and Leap-card validators which break down should be fixed within 24 hours, with a phone number listed there for the public to contact. Litter and filth should be cleaned up regularly and the cleaners fired if standards are too low. Bland grey walls can be done up with mosaics of local history or legend. Such changes will persuade more people to take public transport for certain journeys instead of driving, which thus also helps to free up the roads and parking for those who do choose to drive. The phenomenon of "ghost buses", buses never arriving, must be ended; one solution is to implement the simple technology already in use in such places as Korea, where every bus has a unique ID code and is tracked with GPS and visible on a smartphone map interface, so its arrival is predictable and any deviation from course requires explanation. Finally, of course, greater frequency of buses and trains would be welcome, to the maximum extent that these can currently be afforded.

We must improve cycling infrastructure across the City and County. On a very basic level, fixing potholes and repairing and improving roads and existing cycle lanes would improve safety. The same applies to footpaths for those walking.

We need to improve traffic calming measures in appropriate locations. More public lighting would also help those on foot as well as the provision of more benches, and widening of paths to help those with mobility issues or those with prams. We also need to increase the amount of bike parking facilities to make cycling more efficient and to ensure there is reduced bike theft.

30km/h should be the default speed for residential roads and streets, with camera-based enforcement and/or automatic speed limiters in vehicles for all speed limits.

I will push for infrastructural improvements to tackle speeding and ensure that roads are designed to prioritise road safety, particularly that of children and other vulnerable road users.

We also need zebra crossings at minor junctions, to remind people of pedestrian priority. Now that Eamon Ryan has ensure such crossings can be provided without flashing beacons, they are much more affordable and should be used widely. That, combined with improved and widened footpaths would really improve things for pedestrians - particularly those who need extra time or space. Benches are also key to ensure that people who are walking can get a rest.

Many of the lights in our junctions at busy periods heavily prioritise cars - at the expense of people walking. You will see hundreds of pedestrians forced to wait for car traffic to pass, which inexplicably enjoys more time. I want junction timing that prioritises disabled people, pedestrians, bikes, public transport - in that order.

Speeding is a big problem, cars parked on footpaths and cycle lanes also make it difficult to get around.  People with buggies and wheelchairs frequently have to go on to busy roads to avoid hazards. As I mentioned, a lot of our footpaths are in a bad state of repair, are very narrow or non-existent – all of this needs to be improved. 

Cycle lanes are definitely improving but we need to rapidly roll them out, we need to expedite delivery. Bike lanes where they do exist in Dublin are not great,  in the Netherlands you are completely separated from the traffic and you can ride two abreast, chatting to a friend beside you– it is such a nice social experience. Kids have so much freedom there, it helps foster independence when you can get places by yourself or with friends & give stressed-out parents a break from being a permanent taxi too! I know people say we don’t have the weather but I have lived and worked in Amsterdam, it rains a lot there too, a decent raincoat and good boot rooms in businesses really help!

Road safety is a top priority. I would advocate for stricter enforcement of traffic laws, particularly around speeding and distracted driving. Investment in road infrastructure, such as better lighting, clearer signage, and well-maintained road surfaces, is essential. As mentioned above, it is unacceptable to have anything but smooth road surfaces in Fingal. It is the shared responsibility of the road users’ to avoid being distracted by mobile phones while walking, driving or cycling and the responsibility of the council to introduce more traffic calming measures in high-risk areas, creating safe school zones, significantly reducing risk of accidents.

Bicycle lanes must be simple, safe, continuously linked (not frequently separated by stretches of motorist-filled road which the cyclist must veer onto), and gracefully integrated into the road system, so that motorists, cyclists and pedestrians can move in harmony. A perfect example of such a system is seen in the Netherlands, and so an information-gathering visit to that country would be wise; we needn't reinvent the wheel when the Dutch have already figured out how to do this with ease and style. Pedestrianised streets are great, but we mustn't overdo it; automobiles have an important role to play in our communities, and shouldn't be demonised but respected.

I support traffic calming measures on roads where speeding is an issue. I will support increased footpaths to give people the option to walk instead of having to take the car. Many roads and bends would need to be widened and Fingal County Council should take a more proactive role in ensuring this can happen, through compulsory purchases orders if necessary.

We have been learning from successful experience in other countries, especially the Netherlands and have provided some important infrastructure. However, we still have a distance to go in designing streets, roads and greenways for active travel. We need to continue to learn from good practice elsewhere.

Continuous footpaths at side roads and zebra crossings should be standard.

All roads without footpaths must be addressed as a matter of urgency. Rapidly implementable designs such as those used in the Netherlands should be considered, for example at Stockhole Lane. In other locations, short local greenway links are an urgent priority, for example between Kinsealy and Portmarnock.  

Quality segregated cycling routes should be the norm across the city, including the provision of important links such as from Malahide to Donabate.

I fully support reducing speed limits to 30 in our towns and villages, we need more traffic calming including speed ramps & we also need serious enforcement of the law by the guards. After years of campaigning we are finally returning to zebra crossings that require just black and white paint. Up until a recent change in the law a zebra crossing had to have flashing orange lights which made the cost of €36,000 which was prohibitive for county councils. This change in the law is really good news. The easier, safer and more pleasant it is to walk and cycle, the more of us will do it. This is good news for drivers to as there will be less traffic.

As an avid cyclist and member of MacNally’s Cycling Club, I recognise the importance of safe and accessible cycle routes. I have found myself trying to avoid potholes and find smooth surfaces when descending Howth Hill. This is unacceptable. Howth Hill is a popular area for cyclists and motorists alike. Repairing these potholes and having smooth surfaces is the easiest way to protect our cyclists and the first step in making roads safer. I would also advocate for strict enforcement of regulations to prevent cars and vans from parking on cycle lanes, which is a significant issue for cyclists. The Portmarnock-Baldoyle greenway + walkway was a brilliant development and we need to see more like it.

We should run education campaigns to help people understand how deeply distracting and thus dangerous texting and listening to podcasts etc. can be in heavy traffic. However, beyond this I think the safety of our roads is really only improvable to the extent that we can culturally evolve toward greater mindfulness and present-moment awareness, as such single-pointed focus is the core solution to every kind of accident in society. For example, in India, everyone knows that everyone else is constantly breaking the road rules, overtaking one another and running red lights; but paradoxically this makes things safer, as everyone knows they cannot afford a single moment of inattentiveness. In two months travelling in India, I never once saw a road accident. For many other reasons besides, meditation should really be taught in our schools.

Clearly there is limited green space in urban areas compared to rural areas, so we must focus on developing our existing greenspaces into areas of biodiversity. Many residents associations and Tidy Towns have paved the way in terms of biodiversity projects in their greenspaces and Fingal County Council have supported this. Local Authorities should continue to support residents with workshops on biodiversity. This should also be explored further in schools. It would be great to see more community gardens across Dublin.

Fingal has an excellent Biodiversity Plan, reflecting a commitment to protect and restore biodiversity. This includes immediate practical actions in our Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas (such as putting ropes along paths on Ireland’s Eye to guide people away from ground-nesting birds) and longer-term objectives such as restoring oyster-beds and other marine habitats.

The Dublin Bay Biosphere Reserve covers the south-east of Fingal including Howth, Baldoyle Estuary and Portmarnock peninsula, including the rivers which flow to these coastal waters. Howth has a further designation as a Special Amenity Area, which is a national-level planning protection and involves a community-based approach to managing the area.

I and my Green colleagues have a long track record of protecting our high amenity land and green belts, as well as the Howth SAAO from rezoning proposals.

I am passionate about the environment, we are so lucky in my area to have so many wonderful natural resources. I was honoured to be selected by my fellow councillors to be the biodiversity representative for Howth/Malahide. I was instrumental in ensuring that Fingal was adequately funded to meet its 100 actions in its Biodiversity Action Plan. I have set up and run several tree-planting initiatives, planting more than 10,000 trees in the last five years. 

Baldoyle and Malahide Estuaries are important European sites but they are under threat from pollution. I have set up Europe’s first-ever Seagrass Restoration Project in Baldoyle Bay, Seagrass is even more effective at carbon capture and storage than trees are. Our coastline is not just an incredibly beautiful playground for us, our dunes, beaches and golf courses in Portmarnock and Sutton are also working hard to protect us from the worst effects of potential sea rise and flooding. They work hard to protect us so we must work hard to protect them. 

I am also a committee member of the Howth SAAO, our mission is to safeguard Howth Head, its built and natural heritage & biodiversity.  I get to work with amazing community groups doing incredible work in Howth/Malahide, these wonderful people inspire & motivate me.  I am so lucky to be a county councillor in this area.

Firstly, I would advocate for policies that protect existing green spaces. This involves using zoning to classify existing areas as protected open space. Much of the Howth peninsula is currently designated as a high amenity zone and not protected as open space, which it should be.

I would work to ensure that any new housing or infrastructure projects incorporate green spaces into their plans, following a "green infrastructure" approach that integrates nature into urban settings. Community involvement is crucial to the success of these initiatives. By organising community events, clean-up days, and educational workshops, we can foster a sense of stewardship and pride in our natural environment.

I would first of all stop the overdevelopment of Howth; refuse planning permission to Tetrarch's attempts to turn large swathes of the grounds of Howth Castle into housing estates, and keep future developments in the area to a certain reasonable height limit so as not to distort the views of the forest, hill and sea from the village. I would also urge everyone who litters to give up the habit, and all of us to pick up more litter, so as to create a little bit more green in the area and less toxic material for the creatures who live there and in many cases think plastic is food. Also, certain kinds of garden pesticides might be prohibited, if proven too damaging. As for creating additional green space, I would support turning unused or underused government properties into parks and wildlife sanctuaries, with the help of professional gardeners to clear out the areas and plant some greenery to get things started. I would also strongly support planting trees along the sides of our streets, anywhere and everywhere that has the space to support it. This would make a radical change in the atmosphere and resultant emotional and mental well-being of those who walk past and beneath these trees. 

I have been made aware of a number of sports clubs who have applied for permission to install new pitches, which have been turned down by Fingal County Council, which I think is very regrettable. There is a lack of all-weather pitches in the Howth-Malahide LEA which leads to a reliance on grass pitches which are unplayable when there is heavy rain. The delays in developing Racecourse Park in Baldoyle due to "legal issues" is exacerbating these issues. There needs to be a change in direction from Fingal in terms of approving applications, but also in proactively developing and building green spaces and sports facilities on Council owned land.

To ensure sufficient facilities are provided for to a growing population it needs to be built into our planning system. Sites and locations must be identified prior to any building being undertaken. This has been improved upon in the last development plan, but we have a lot to catch up on.

All towns should have easy access to open spaces where people and children can be in nature. Access to nature is essential for both physical and mental health. We are lucky in Fingal to have so many beautiful parks and beaches, but we need to ensure all our citizens have better access to them.

I am Chair of Fingal’s Special Policy Committee for Sport and Community. One of the first things I did was commission an audit on the sports facilities in Fingal. I feel very strongly that our taxes should be spent fairly and that facilities are provided based on need. 

A community must never suffer under-investment just because they do not have a minister in their area & likewise, a community shouldn’t feel they have to re-elect someone they don’t believe in just because they fear their community may suffer without a minister.  

So for me, demographics in the area should be the main consideration, if you have a certain number of people of a certain age then suitable sports facilities should be provided.  We have health issues like obesity and anxiety that have all been proven to be helped by opportunities for exercise.  Money invested in sports and parks actually reduces the bill for health services.

I am delighted to have played such an integral role in finally delivering a € 10 million investment in sports and a regional park in the very heart of my local area.  It has taken a lot of hard work to get here.

I advocate for the development and expansion of exercise and recreational areas in Malahide, Howth, and Portmarnock to ensure residents have free access to essential recreational facilities. New housing developments should allocate space for parks and sports facilities as part of their planning requirements. The Howth-Malahide area is known for popular sports like cricket, rugby, tennis, and GAA, but there's room for improvement. I believe in creating more all-weather pitches with options for putting up volleyball and badminton nets. Additionally, partnerships with local sports clubs and community groups are vital for developing and managing these facilities. Anti-social behaviour that damages not just these amenities, but any property of the community, must not be tolerated. I advocate for stricter penalties and higher fines to prevent such actions.

The levies drawn from developers when they are given permission to build somewhere (for them an affordable part of their lucrative business) should be conscientiously reinvested into the communities which are enduring the construction and in some cases enduring additional burdens on traffic and amenities. For example, Howth has seen such moneys being distributed elsewhere in Fingal, when there is a lack of amenities here for the locals who are suffering the presence of huge unwanted buildings and the eye-sores of open construction sites for months on end. Such funds should go to the locals. However, both for sports facilities and parks, at the end of the day I believe getting things done comes down to striking a balance between empathy, courtesy, respect and friendliness on the one hand, and on the other hand directness, unapologetic communication on behalf of the electorate, and a willingness to upset the other side in the course of respresenting locals. Only a careful balance of kindness and willpower can persuade such powerful entites as corporations – and indeed government departments – to see the light and put in the work to enrich a community.