1. Heather for President – A President for All
The Presidential election is now in full swing with Fine Gael in Dublin Rathdown getting fully behind our candidate Heather Humphreys. We had great turnout earlier today in Dundrum to welcome Heather to the constituency where she received an extremely warm reception from shoppers.
Over the coming weeks we will be campaigning heard to put Heather in the Áras, so please do get in touch if you are willing to help out.
2. Scoil San Treasa – New School Building Project
We had very positive news this week as the Department of Education granted approval for the Scoil San Treasa school building project in Mount Merrion to proceed to the Construction Stage. The development will deliver –
· The replacement of four existing prefab classrooms, and five additional new mainstream classrooms
· A new additional Special Education Teaching room alongside a new special education facility
This is a very important and positive development to ensure high quality, permanent education facilities for Mount Merrion and the wider community.
2. New Student Accommodation for UCD
It was great to join so many Fine Gael colleagues at UCD yesterday for turn the sod on the building 493 new student on-campus accommodation beds. This project will be delivered with €67m in support from government through the Short-Term Activation Programme announced in 2022.
As I have repeatedly argued in the Council Chamber, the only answer to our housing challenges is to build, build, build. As such, I greatly welcome any new housing in our community.
This announced accommodation will greatly benefit not only future students at UCD but will also help reduce pressure on rental accommodation in the surrounding area. I look forward to continuing to work with government, in my capacity as a local councillor, to build more homes locally.
3. Cabinteely Greenway
The proposed Cabinteely Greenway will create 2.3km of segregated suburban greenway infrastructure (effectively bike lanes, improved pedestrian paths and associated improvements to green spaces). It is intended to provide improved walking and cycling connections between Cornelscourt and Cherrywood.
Council officials have provided assurance the no existing lanes of traffic or parking will be impacted.
The Greenway should be very positive active travel infrastructure for the community. However, as always critical to the effective delivery of this project will be meaningful engagement with local residents. A Consultation will go live next week, from 25th September – 6th November, I encourage you to take part and share your views as part of the consultation process. I will circulate further details once available. Of course, I would be very happy to hear your own views directly in the interim.
7. Disability Strategy
I was pleased over the summer to be appointed by Minister Hildegarde Naughton as Fine Gael’s disability champion on Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. I look forward to working with Minister Naughton and Fine Gael’s other disability champions across the country to better support those living with disability.
I was pleased to provide input into the new National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People published by Minister Naughton and Tánaiste Simon Harris which was published over the summer. You can read the document here.
8. Open Consultations
a. Environment: Green Dog Walkers Pledge – Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council – Citizen Space
9. In the media
a. Expansion of carers allowance will see increase in weekly payment
b. Local Property Tax Increases
c. Comments on the Presidential Race (Dublin People)
d. Dún Loaghaire-Rathdown Council votes to cut Local Property Tax for 2025 (Dublin People)
Cllr. Eoin O'Driscoll 
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