Fingal County Council is to submit application to An Bord Pleanala
                                           to move forward with cycleway 
Local Fianna Fáil TD, Darragh O’Brien has welcomed news that an application is to be made to An Bord Pleanála later this month to move forward with the long-awaited Newbridge Demesne walkway/cycleway to Malahide, on the inner estuary otherwise known as the Broadmeadows Way.

O’Brien commented, “"This will be a coastal greenway that is unlike anything previously seen in Ireland and has been a priority for Cllr Eoghan O'Brien and I for the past 10 years. It has the potential to be a magnificent amenity for locals and tourists alike. 

​“Cllr Eoghan O’Brien in Malahide and Cllr Adrian Henchy in Donabate have both been integral to the campaign to date and we very much look forward to the next stages and eventual completion of this project. 

"Eoghan has further advised me that the funding has been successfully secured for the Baldoyle to Portmarnock section of this project and that work on this will commence shortly.

"While this is significant progress the Government must now commit to providing the funding to complete the whole project.

"I will continue to pursue Government to grant the funding required to deliver this project, and the next phase of the cycleway on through Rush, Skerries and on to Balbriggan," concluded Deputy O'Brien.

​I have received a notice from Fingal County Council in relation to the traffic disruption at Forest Road , Swords, from Tuesday 19th September to Friday 22nd September 2017 arising from emergency works to repair burst water main.

As a result of a trunk water main burst on Forest Road, Swords between Oulart and Hawthorn Park, emergency works are now planned to repair the main. The works are scheduled to commence at 09:30am on Tuesday 19th September 2017 and are expected to take 4 days to complete – to be re-opened by 4pm, Friday, 22nd September 2017.

Forest Road will be closed to vehicular traffic during this time between Boroimhe and River Valley Road. There will be local access to The Nurseries, Boru Court and Oulart from the Forest Road at Boroimhe and local access to Hawthorn Park from the Forest Road at River Valley Road.

Pedestrian access past the works on Forest Road will be maintained at all times but it may be necessary to close the laneway between River Valley Grove and Forest Road.

A Traffic Management-Plan is provided in the link below indicating traffic diversion routes. The repair works will be undertaken by Fingal County Council on behalf of Irish Water and further information may be obtained by contacting Irish Water through one of the channels below.
https://alerts.fingal.ie/en/alert/item/fingal-county-council-water-service-alert-18-09-2017-15376

​Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Trade, Darragh O'Brien TD has welcomed the verdict reached in this afternoon’s mass trial in Cairo which has acquitted Dublin man, Ibrahim Halawa of all charges.


21 year old Ibrahim was arrested in Cairo during anti-government protests in 2013 and had entered a fifth year of detention in Egyptian jail awaiting trial.


Commenting on the news, Deputy O’Brien said, “This afternoon’s news from Cairo has been long awaited and I have no doubt that this is a hugely emotional time for Ibrahim and the Halawa family, who tirelessly campaigned for his release.


“While today’s news is so widely welcomed it is important to remember that Ibrahim has spent over four years of young life detained in Egyptian jail.


“While on a diplomatic trip to Cairo earlier this year, I had the opportunity to speak with Ibrahim in person and it was clear that those years of detention awaiting trial have taken a toll on his wellbeing.

"This entire ordeal has been deeply traumatising, not only for Ibrahim but also for his family and loved ones. The suffering endured by Ibrahim can now finally be brought to an end.


 “I am relieved that he will now be free from detention to focus on regaining his full health. I look forward to Ibrahim’s immediate release and return to his family and friends in Ireland,” concluded the Deputy.

                          New figures show there are no community Gardaí
​                                       in Malahide and just 2 in Balbriggan 


Local Fianna Fáil TD, Darragh O’Brien has said that the decrease in number of community Gardaí across Fingal is part of a growing threat to the safety and protection of the local community. 


In information received by the Deputy through Parliamentary Question, the number of full time community Gardaí in Fingal has been reduced to 12 for a population of almost 300,000. 


Commenting on the figures Deputy O’Brien said, “Not only is Malahide left without a Garda Station after 9pm each night, I have now learned through Parliamentary Question that there is not a single community Garda assigned to the station which serves Malahide, Portmamnock and Kinseally. 


"In 2014 there were six community Gardaí in Malahide, there has been a year-on-year decrease since which has left us with zero in the area.



“The presence of Community Gardaí is hugely important and they play a significant role in towns and villages across the county. They build up relationships with local people and are involved in crime prevention measures like Neighbourhood Watch and Community Alert. 


He added, “Since 2011 there has been an 8% increase in the size of the local population, yet the Department of Justice continues to ignore the need to increase Garda resources in the area 


"Over the past 5 years Garda numbers have been cut in the Dublin Fingal area by over 20%. Further to this is the closure of Rush and the downgrading of Malahide. 


“Despite the fact that Swords has transformed into the busiest district in the Capital, the area has lost 12 full-time Gardaí while there has been a marked decrease in the number of community Gardaí also.


“Furthermore, the entire Balbriggan area, which has a population of roughly 50,000, is served by just two community Gardaí. Quite shockingly there are none whatsoever operating in Lusk.


"Once the Dáil resumes next Wednesday, I will be seeking assurances from Minister that these dramatic and unacceptable reductions in Community Gardaí will be addressed.


"Fingal must be better protected by Garda resources to adequately target crime prevention and rebuild public confidence," concluded Deputy O'Brien.

My colleague Cllr Darragh Butler and I have received a notice from Fingal County Council in relation to an application the council has received from Eir for permission to temporarily close a road in the Toberburr area for the purpose of carrying out works on the Eir Network to provide service for an Eir Customer. 

It is proposed that the road will be closed from 8.00am to 5.00pm Monday 9th until Friday 13th October 2017.

The road in question is:
Killeek Road, Toberburr (L3135)

Alternative routes available for vehicular traffic are as follows:
Motorists travelling northbound along L3135 wishing to continue along L3135 should take the left turn at the junction of L3135 and L3030 onto L3030, then take the right turn at the
junction of L3030 and R122 onto R122, then take the right turn at the junction of R122 and L7245 onto L7245.

Motorists travelling southbound along L3135 wishing to continue along L3135 should take the right turn at the junction of L3135 and L7245 onto L7245, then take the left turn at the
junction of L7245 and R122 onto R122, then take the left turn at the junction of R122 and L3135 onto L3030.

Motorists travelling northbound along the R122 wishing to travel along the L3030 to the L3135 should continue along R122, then take the right turn at the junction of R122 and L7245 onto L7245.

Section A closure 9th to 12th October:
Motorists travelling westbound along L7270 wishing to take the right turn onto L3135 should take the left turn at the junction of L7270 and L3135 onto L3135, and continue to the L3030, and turn right, then take the right turn at the junction of L3030 and R122 onto R122, then take the right turn at the junction of R122 and L7245 onto L7245.

Section B closure 12th to 13th October:
Motorists travelling westbound along L7270 wishing to take the left turn onto L3135 should take the right turn at the junction of L7270 and L3135 onto L3135, then take the left turn at the junction of L3135 and L7245 onto L7245, then take the left turn at the junction of L7245 and R122 onto R122 and continue along R122, then take the right turn at the junction of R122 and
L3030 onto L3030.

Any person may lodge an objection in writing with the Senior Executive Officer, Balbriggan/Swords Operations Unit, Fingal County Council, to arrive no later than 4.00pm
on Friday 15th September 2017.

                    Dublin Ógra FF members meet with key stakeholders to discuss
                                                        Brexit and housing issues 

​Members of the youth wing of the Fianna Fáil party, Ógra Fianna Fáil, gathered in North Dublin earlier this week to discuss two of the most significant challenges facing this generation.


Featured expert panellists led the meeting, which was held in the Bracken Court Hotel Balbriggan, Co. Dublin and heard the views of Ógra members.


Local TD and Fianna Fáil Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Trade Darragh O'Brien kicked off the first session with a chaired discussion on Brexit: England's Difficulty, Ireland's Opportunity.  The panel included presentations by Prof Daire Keogh, Deputy President, DCU, Katie Daughen, Head of Brexit Research with the British Irish Chamber and Paul O'Kane, Chief Communications Officer with the DAA.


Commenting afterwards, Deputy O’Brien said, “So much of the coverage on Brexit over the past 14 months has been dominated by topics that solely interest people working in sectors connected with Britain or who have invested in Britain. In reality, there is great uncertainty for our younger generation too."


“There are certainly potential effects of Brexit on young people In Ireland that need to be examined."


“It is absolutely crucial that young people are given the opportunity to get involved in real politics and engage in real political activity."


“That is one of the core principles of Ógra Fianna Fáil but it is also what this meeting today is about."


He added, “It is clear from this morning’s discussion that Irish young people have an interest in the future of the European Union and our membership of it."
Dublin Spokesperson and Dublin South-West TD, John Lahart led discussion on solving Ireland's housing crisis which included a panel with Simon Brooke, Head of Policy in Clúid Housing, Cormac Lucey, Chairman of Hibernia Forum and Michael O’Mahony, Vice President of the RIAI.


Deputy Lahart said, “From the fundamental to the trivial we cannot ignore the legitimate concerns of Irish young people."


“The reality for many young couples in Dublin is that renting a home on a monthly basis is cheaper than owning one."


“An entire generation of people are facing the possibility of being stuck paying exorbitant rent with no possibility of owning their own home. When they have the rent and other bills paid, there is nothing available to start building towards a deposit.”


Current Ógra President, local man James Doyle, concluded the day by saying, “It is meetings such as today’s that prove constructive to drafting policy. Every contribution from today’s panels will be noted and submitted to the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party for their consideration."


“Facilitating events like today’s on Brexit and housing help to recognise the positive and active role that young people play in the policy formation process.”