Council Update – May 2026 – Cllr. Eoin O'Driscoll

Glenalbyn Swimming Pool

The most significant local issue this month was the decision by the DLR County Council Executive to remove the long-promised swimming pool at Glenalbyn from the three-year Capital Programme. The old Glenalbyn pool closed in 2013, and for years €10 million had been ringfenced by the Council for its redevelopment. That commitment has now been abandoned by the Executive.

This is a deeply disappointing decision that goes directly against the expressed wishes of local elected representatives and the community. There is strong cross-party support among councillors for restoring a pool to the Glenalbyn site, and I have joined colleagues in demanding that the Executive reconsider. I will continue to press this case strongly.

Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

I spoke about this issue on Dublin’s Q102 last week —

There is also a broader issue of democratic principle here. The Capital Programme allocates over €1.5 billion of taxpayers’ money and was drawn up without meaningful input from elected councillors. That is not good enough. Local residents rightly expect their views to be represented in decisions of this scale.

Clonmore Park Playground — Works delayed

Upgrade works on the Clonmore Park playground were due to commencemid-May. I have been informed that the contractor has now pushed the start date to the end of June — meaning the park will be out of use for prime summer weeks. This is extremely disappointing and I am continuing to press the Council to bring that date forward.

Community Safety Update

I have been pleased to see a visible increase in Garda presence in our area in recent weeks, with a number of high-profile community policing operations locally. This kind of visible, active presence matters enormously to residents and I will continue to advocate for its continuation.

For homeowners aged 65 and over, DLR’s High Security Locks Scheme 2026 is now open for applications, providing support for the upgrade of external door locks to high-security anti-snap cylinders. [LINK]

Record Housing Completions in Q1 2026

349 new households joined our community in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown in the first three months of 2026 — the strongest national start to a year since 2011. These are real families who now have a home to call their own, and it is a reminder that the work being done on housing delivery is producing results, even as we know more remains to be done.

Have Your Say — Active Consultations

Lehaunstown Lane, Dublin 18 — DLR is consulting on a proposed development of 109 new homes on Council-owned land, comprising one, two, and three-bedroom homes in buildings of two to four storeys. Submissions are open until 10 July 2026. [LINK]

Mobility Hubs — DLR has launched a Part 8 statutory consultation on plans for a network of 73 shared mobility hubs across the county as part of a national pilot programme. If you have views on proposed locations in our area, now is the time to submit them. [LINK]

Community Notices

Tidy Districts 2026 — DLR has launched its annual Tidy Districts Competition and is inviting community groups to get involved. A great opportunity for residents’ associations to showcase what makes our neighbourhoods special. [LINK]

Free Book Bags for Pre-School Children — Children completing the ECCE pre-school programme this summer are invited to visit their local library to pick up a free book bag as part of the My Little Library Initiative. The bags contain books to keep and resources for parents supporting the transition to primary school, available in English and as Gaeilge, throughout the summer.

DLR Heritage Collections Now Online – DLR County Council has digitised and published the collections of the La Touche Family, Joseph McGrath and Thomas Cullen — discovered in Marlay and Cabinteely Houses — and made them freely available through the Digital Repository of Ireland. These collections represent two remarkable eras of Irish life and are well worth exploring. [LINK]