November / December Update – Cllr. Eoin O’Driscoll
- Budget 2025
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council passed its 2026 Budget amounting to €313.7m representing a 12% increase on Budget 2025. The expansionary budget, passed with the support of the Fine Gael-Fianna Fáil governing group will provide for a significant uplift in the provision of services for our local community.
There was a particular focus on increase maintenance budgets which should facilitate better service delivery locally, including –
- Grass cutting – €450,000
- Tree care – €400,000
- Grass Pitch Maintenance – €135,000
- All-weather pitch maintenance – €250,000
Other increased budget lines I want to highlight are –
- Arts Grant funding has more than doubled to €226,000
- Climate Action Plan Phase 2 – €883,000
- New books and digital library services – €65,000
I look forward to working hard to getting these additional resources working efficiently and effectively for local communities.
- 12 New Local Gardaí
12 new Gardaí have been allocated to our area (via Dundrum Garda Station). This is a significant increase in local policing resources following the launch last year, by then-Minister for Justice Helen McEntee, of a major new recruitment drive for An Garda Síochána.
The 12 new Gardaí, which are due to start working locally by the end of the month, represent the single biggest increase in Garda resourcing for the local area. The increased Garda resources should facilitate increased Garda presence on the beat and increased enforcement – particularly on issues such as anti-social behaviour, traffic and parking violations.
- Community Safety Partnership
I had the honour of being elected by my fellow Councillors to join The Local Community Safety Partnership (LCSP). This is a newly established initiative aimed at enhancing community safety across Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown by placing local voices at the heart of decision-making. The partnership will bring together a diverse range of stakeholders including local councillors, An Garda Síochána, community groups, businesses, educators, and statutory agencies such as the HSE, Tusla, and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.
I look forward to kicking off work with the Partnership in the new year to support community safety initiatives locally.
I will continue my work on the Local Policing Forum, so please do get in touch if there are any matters I can support you with regarding local policing/community safety.
- Stillorgan Library
Budget 2026 also provided full funding for the new Stillorgan Library. This is on track to open in Q1 2026.
It will be a fantastic facility for our local community and I greatly look forward to its opening in the new year.
- Cabinteely Greenway
The consultation on the Cabinteely Greenway closed last week, 11th December 2025.
The Greenway should be a positive community amenity but it is integral that it is progressed with full, meaningful engagement with local residents. I have received significant feedback on the proposals which I look forward to reviewing in detail, alongside the results of the consultation, in the new year.
I will be working to ensure that local residents’ feedback is fully taken into account and the Greenway is designed and delivered to best support local need.
- EU Committee of the Regions – Housing Working Group
Earlier this month I had the opportunity to represent Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council at the EU Committee of the Regions. This brought together local representatives from across Europe to discuss issues of common concern to local government, share best practices and identify potential solutions to shared problems.
Of particular interest, I took part in the launch of the European People’s Party Housing Working Group at the Committee of the Regions. With access to affordable, suitable housing posing a major problem across Europe, this Working Group should provide a good opportunity to work together and bring some new ideas back to our respective local authorities to help build more homes locally.
- Trad Fest
I have raised on a number of occasions my disappointment that in previous years Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown has been the one local authority in Dublin that has not taken part in TradFest – Ireland’s largest traditional music festival.
Therefore, I am pleased that it has been confirmed that the county will host a number of events as part of TradFest 2026 on a trial basis. While the events are all on the east side of the county in 2026, if the trial is successful, TradFest 2027 and beyond will offer great opportunities to bring more people to heritage sites in our area to enjoy some of Ireland’s best traditional musicians.
You can find out more about next year’s events in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown here: 2026 Artist Lineup | TradFest Dublin
- Open Consultations
Deadline 26th January 2026
Environment: Green Dog Walkers Pledge – Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council – Citizen Space
Deadline 31st December 2025
Cllr. Eoin O'Driscoll 
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