O’Brien td Minister
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage
A Chara,
Over the past four and a half years, since becoming your local Minister I have had the pleasure of meeting and speaking to many of you, and in recent weeks, while my team and I have been out knocking on doors, the engagement has been fantastic and I thank you for that.
Shortly, you will be casting your vote to elect your TD for the next Dáil and I am respectfully asking for your Number 1 Vote.
I was born in Fingal, raised here, I’ve made my home here and I have my family here. I have worked full-time as your public representative since 2004.
In 2020 I was honoured to be appointed as Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage by then Taoiseach, Micheál Martin. Since then I have worked hard to deliver on housing, which I know is the most pressing issue we face as a country. Having recently held a public meeting on housing in our constituency, which was attended by over 200 people, I am only too aware that it is the most pressing issue in Dublin Fingal East also. Thankfully, we are making progress with housing delivery going from 20,000 homes in 2020 to what we estimate will be close to 40,000 homes this year in 2024. More than 500 first-time buyers are now buying their own home each week, including here in Dublin Fingal East.
My focus has also remained on the issues which matter to us locally such as accessibility to high quality healthcare, enhanced public transport options, increased safety in our towns and villages, expanded educational access and the protection and growth of our public amenities.
I am passionate about my work as your local representative and with your Number 1 Vote I will continue to work on your behalf at both a national and local level. I want to serve in a Government which stands for progress and growth, for fairness and opportunity. I want to serve the people of Dublin Fingal East.
I am respectfully asking for your NUMBER 1 VOTE to reelect me as your TD.
Le gach dea ghuí, Darragh
Public Transport
Dart+ Coastal North, MetroLink & Bus Connects Dublin
With significant housing developments being delivered in the Fingal East area, it is vital that we connect these new communities with efficient transport links to the city. Our national transport plan must cater for these developing communities, ensuring residents have access to affordable and efficient transport options.
The Dart Plus Coastal North Railway Order application has been lodged.
What this means is that once completed, peak hourly capacity and frequency on the Northern route between Dublin City and Malahide, Portmarnock and Donabate will be significantly increased.
With respect to MetroLink, a project I know you have all heard about for many years, a new MetroLink Project Director has been appointed to lead what will be the largest infrastructure project in the history of the State. We’re now heading towards some of the critical milestones with tender, procurement and contracts on the horizon. When it’s done, the end-to-end journey time between Swords and the south city centre will be about 25 minutes.
And on bus connects, the NTA is now working on the construction plan and preparing for the next steps. The first contracts are expected to be awarded by the end of 2024, with construction starting early next year. All twelve corridors are set to be completed by 2030, with construction happening in phases to minimise traffic disruption. As for the Swords to City Centre route, it will likely be implemented in the latter half of the overall project. I will keep residents, businesses, and community groups informed throughout the construction process.
Climate Action
Fianna Fáil is committed to climate action. The Climate Act sets our key targets of reducing emissions by 51% by 2030 compared to 2018 levels, and to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. And thankfully Ireland is making progress. Data from the EPA shows that Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 2.2% in the first quarter of 2024 compared with the same period of last year. This follows on from the news earlier this year that there was a 6.8% reduction in Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2023, compared with 2022, with overall emissions falling below the 1990 baseline for the first time in three decades. However, we have to do more and this will require cuts in emissions across all sectors of the economy and society.
Preparations are currently underway to publish the newest update to Ireland’s climate action plan – Climate Action Plan 2025. This will accelerate the action needed – putting climate solutions at the centre of Ireland’s social and economic development.
Public Amenities
Broadmeadow Greenway
The Broadmeadow Way, a new greenway connecting Malahide and Donabate via the Malahide Estuary is making great progress.
I was thrilled to help kickstart the project by approving the necessary foreshore licence, clearing the way for the Broadmeadow Way’s full development. The project also secured a significant €7M allocation under the 2024 Active Travel programme.
Set to be completed in 2026, this greenway will boost our local economy and provide lasting benefits for locals and tourists alike. It will offer a safe, new route for commuting, connecting our Fingal communities, schools, sports facilities, and train stations. I can’t wait to enjoy it with my family and see the community make the most of it.
Minister Darragh O’Brien TD
Supporting Local Sports Clubs
In September, a record €5.5M euro was announced for Fingal Sports Clubs alone under the Sports Capital Programme.
It’s been a pleasure to work with many local clubs on the applications because we all know the benefits of well-resourced clubs.
Through these grants we’re providing essential amenities for people of all ages and if we want as many young people as possible to participate in sport, we need to have appropriate facilities and equipment available.
Local Healthcare
Ensuring accessible healthcare for everyone in Fingal is a top priority for me. With our growing population, it’s crucial that local health facilities meet the community’s needs. Thankfully we are making progress as evidenced by the recent developments in our local healthcare services.
Construction of the Swords Surgical Hub is well underway at Swords Business Campus, with the first phase set to open by the end of the year. This new facility, affiliated with Beaumont Hospital, will focus on day-case surgeries, helping to reduce waiting times and improve access to essential healthcare.
The Swords Surgical Hub will provide a range of minor surgeries across multiple disciplines, including general surgery, orthopaedics, gastroenterology, urology, and more. By offering these services closer to home, we can alleviate pressure on major hospitals and deliver better healthcare directly to our community.
With the addition of the new elective hospital in Fingal and the upcoming Swords Primary Care Centre, our community will soon have better and more efficient access to healthcare services right on our doorstep.
Housing in Our Area
Housing remains a top priority for me as I work to sustain the upward momentum of housing delivery in Fingal East and across the country. I hear from residents every week about their concerns—whether it’s high rents or the challenge of owning a home. The good news is that after years of undersupply, the tide is turning, and we’re making real progress.
Since 2020 when Fianna Fáil re-entered Government, over 125,000 new homes have been delivered nationwide—more than in the previous nine years combined, despite the challenges of a global pandemic and war. Around 500 first-time buyers are securing mortgages each week, and Ireland’s housing completions are double the European average, according to the latest Euroconstruct report.
Here in Fingal:
• 8,964 new homes were completed in Fingal since 2020, the year this Government took office. This is a 20% increase on the 7,474 homes completed in the previous four years.
• Building has started on 4,809 new homes in Fingal since the beginning of the year. This is a 197% increase on the same period in 2023 and is more commencements than the whole of 2023.
• There were 5,812 households on the social housing waiting list in Fingal in 2023. This is a 15% decrease on 2016 when social housing waiting lists were first captured.
• Since 2020, the year this Government took up office, 605 vacant social homes have been brought back into productive use in Fingal through an investment of €7.9 million.
• There have been 161 applications to the Vacant and Derelict Property Grant in Fingal with 101 already approved.
There have been 573 approvals for the First Home Scheme in Fingal (average approved €70,000). There have also been more than 10,000 Help-to-Buy claims by Dublin First Time Buyers (up to €30,000.)
Safer, Cleaner Dublin
The people of Fingal East deserve to feel safe in their communities, but many don’t. It’s clear that we need more effective measures to combat the rise in anti-social behaviour and crime.
Fianna Fáil in Govenment will boost Garda recruitment. I have consistently highlighted the need for more Gardaí in both Malahide and Swords Garda Stations.
We are also committed to:Deploying dedicated community Gardaí on a Small Area Policing basis.
Assigning Gardaí specifically to public transport services.
Implementing a targeted approach with Gardaí, local authorities, and justice programs to eliminate drug dealing and anti-social behaviour in public spaces and residential complexes.
Proactively monitoring and enforcing bail conditions for those awaiting trial.
Promoting community service and restorative justice for those convicted.
Reviewing and expanding the location and hours of operation for Garda stations in Dublin, with a focus on serving growing populations.
Water & Electricity
I am aware of and deeply concerned about the recent water and electrical outages across the Fingal area. These disruptions are far from ideal, and I understand the frustrating impact they have on residents and communities, as well as the disruption they cause.
Over recent weeks I have met with and been in regular contact with Uisce Éireann, the ESB, and my council colleagues to mitigate the effects of these disturbances on our area. If you continue to experience electrical outages or issues with your water quality, please do not hesitate to reach out to me so I can assist.
Education
I believe that education is the great leveller and the great enabler – the bedrock of our communities continued social and economic progress. Fianna Fáil has led every significant expansion of education in Irish history, from the establishment of free secondary schooling to broadening access to university education.
I know here in Fingal-East there is significant pressure with regards to school places and that is why I have worked, as your local TD, to deliver new places both in primary and secondary schools in Swords, Malahide, Portmarnock and Donabate.
We have a strong new school building programme which will continue to deliver into the future for the children and students of Fingal East.
As well as that, since coming into Government in 2020, we have introduced the Free Schoolbooks Scheme for students in primary school and now all students in second level education. We have also reduced the primary public teacher ratio in three successive budgets, bringing it to a historic low of 23 pupils per teacher. We have also succeeded in achieving a huge reduction in school transport fees.
Importantly, we have more than doubled the number of special classes that were in place in 2019 and introduced 11 new special schools nationwide, supported by increased annual special education funding. We’ve invested almost €5 billion in school buildings since 2020, supporting hundreds of schools in every county including Fingal East, and we have almost quadrupled the number of summer provision camps for children with additional needs and educational disadvantage – up from 13,000 children in 2019 to over 50,000 children now.
In tackling bullying, we initiated new anti-bullying procedures in schools and set up a national database of bullying incidents in schools for the first time. These vital initiatives are having a huge impact on children and students right across Fingal East and we must keep this progress going in the right direction.
