North-West councillors call for extension of public consultation for Dunsink plan

Councillors from Dublin City’s North West Area have written to AnnMarie Farrelly, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, seeking an extension of the consultation on the Draft Dunsink Urban Area Plan until the end of September

Councillors Mary Callaghan (Soc Dems), Anthony Cannaghan (Sinn Féin), Keith Connolly (Fianna Fáil), Leslie Kane (Sinn Féin), Gavin Pepper (independent) Conor Reddy (People Before Profit) have said that more time is needed for local residents to have their say on the plan.

The councillors said that the draft plan provides for up to 18,500 homes across three phases, including 2,500 homes in the first phase, which in turn will have a “significant” impact on roads, public services and infrastructure in Finglas.

They said that councillors and the local community have only been made aware of recently, despite requests for briefings and information from members of Dublin City Council’s North West Area Committee in March of this year.

The councillors said they are “united” in calling for residents of Finglas to be given more time to examine the proposals and make “informed submissions.”

They are also seeking a public information event in Finglas, organised in cooperation with Dublin City Council, so that local residents receive the same opportunity to engage with the plan as residents in Fingal.

“In our view, meaningful, informed engagement from Finglas residents has been substantially limited in this context. The situation is made more difficult by the fact that we are in the middle of the Summer, when many constituents are away and less engaged than they would be at other times of the year,” they said. 

The councillors said “co-operation and collaboration between our local authorities will be critical to both the existing community in Finglas and any new community on the Dunsink lands.”