Fund to boost communities impacted by airport

NORTHSIDE communities in the immediate vicinity of Dublin Airport and those located under a flight path are to benefit from a €10 million fund. 

The Dublin Airport Community Fund will invest €400,000 per year over the next 25 years in local projects focused on areas such as the environment and sustainability, sports and recreation, social inclusion and community development, health and wellbeing, and culture and heritage.

The parameters of the fund – both geographically and in terms of the type of activity that should be supported – were designed following detailed public feedback that was undertaken as part of the consultation process for the new North Runway. 

Dublin Airport managing director Vincent Harrison said: “Our intention is that the Community Fund’s annual spend of €400,000 will reach the neighbouring communities that are most impacted by airport operations.

“Dublin Airport has been supporting projects in local communities for decades and as the airport grows with additional facilities such as the new North Runway, we are expanding our support for those neighbouring communities.” 

Mr Harrison pointed out that Dublin Airport already delivers huge benefits to the local community.

“It is the largest employer in Fingal, with 19,200 jobs located directly at the airport or at airport-related businesses,” he said.

“We also depend on many of our neighbouring communities to provide the staff who work at the airport on a daily basis, not just for daa, but also for all of the other businesses that are based here because of the airport. 

“The new Dublin Airport Community Fund will further strengthen those already close bonds between the airport and its neighbours.”

The new fund will support local projects in the neighbouring communities around the airport, from Santry south of the airport to Rolestown in the north and from Tyrrelstown on the west to Portmarnock on the east.

The fund will also support up to 10 students per year from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to enable them to attend Dublin City University
(DCU) via its Access Programme.

“By working with Dublin City University’s Access Programme, the fund will provide scholarships to students that may be marginalised, giving them the life-changing opportunity to access third level education,” Mr Harrison added.

Applications for the Dublin Airport Community Fund will open on September 1.