Frequently Asked Questions

The Dunsink Urban Area Plan (UAP) is a planning framework prepared by Fingal County Council to guide the development of a new urban town in north-west Dublin. The plan has published with little consultation (six weeks) and little promotion around it’s publication. You can read more about the consultation here https://www.dunsink.com/consultation

There are a number of serious issues over the over reliance on surrounding communities for roads, policing, schools and other essential services. This is one of the largest developments undertaken by Fingal and it will create a new town on the Dunsink lands and it’s important that Fingal provides the necessary infrastructure to allow for Dunsink to be a successful new town. The development will be predominately high rise compact living apartments in a 1kmx1km net residential area, 15,000 units and a population of 37,500.

Dunsink is located between Finglas, Castleknock, Ashtown and Blanchardstown.

Although the Dunsink development covers 435 hectares, only 102 hectares are designated as net residential land — just under a quarter of the entire site. This excludes the Dunsink Dump, land reserved for schools, parks, commercial facilities and community uses. The net residential area is roughly equivalent to a square measuring one kilometre by one kilometre.

The Council's latest public description refers to the potential for up to 15,000 Units. The majority of these units will be high rise apartments and the first phase will be built beside Finglas.

You read more about the amount of units being built here https://www.dunsink.com/homes-per-hectare

The population Dunsink is approximately 37,500 people, based on 15,000 homes and an assumed average of 2.5 people per home.

For comparison, the 2022 Census recorded a population of 42,638 in Finglas. The potential population of Dunsink would therefore be similar in scale to an established community such as Finglas.

The current proposed density range of approximately 60–150 dwellings per hectare. Dunsink Development should be 40–80 dwellings per hectare range to align with the national residential planning guidance as a benchmark for relevant suburban and urban extension locations. We believe the proposed densities should be carefully reconsidered in the context of the site's constraints, transport capacity, landscape and availability of services.

You can read more about the densities in more detail here https://www.dunsink.com/homes-per-hectare

The proposals envisage a significant amount of ‘compact living’ higher-density housing, with apartments expected to make up a substantial proportion of the development.

Housing numbers and densities should be determined by what the land and infrastructure can properly support. High densities without sufficient transport, schools, healthcare, green space and community facilities risk creating a failed housing project. Dunsink should be set up for success and not a let’s build it and see what happens approach.

The proposed development will place additional pressure on roads serving Finglas, including Ratoath Road, Tolka Valley Road, Cardiff Bridge, Cappagh, the Navan Road, River Road, Ballyboggan Road and the M50.

Ratoath Road is a particular concern because it is an existing two-lane road with limited capacity and it will not be able to take the volume of traffic from 37,500 people exiting from Dunsink. Additional traffic will increase congestion and affect everyday journeys, road safety and emergency service access.

Ratoath Road is a small two lane road that doesn’t have space for a bus lane. It already serves existing communities in Finglas and Cabra. The concern is that the additional traffic from an additional 37,500 people will place considerable pressure on this constrained route.

The Ratoath Road does not have the capacity to accommodate the volume of the proposed additional traffic, alongside the needs of existing residents, public transport and emergency services

Yes. The Castleknock area will experience very high volumes of additional traffic from a new town of 37,500 people. The main pressure points will be on the Navan Road, New River Road, Junction 6 M50, Auburn Avenue and surrounding junctions.

The transport assessment identifies existing delays at the M50 Junction 6 interchange and states that the Navan Road, New River Road and Auburn Avenue junction will approach operational capacity following the development of Dunsink.

The high density development relies on transport improvements, including a potential future Luas extension. The Dunsink Plan places excessive reliance on the delivery of Luas Tyrrelstown after 2042 with planning yet to commence, funding has not been allocated and its final alignment still undetermined. The Plan assumes a level of certainty around its delivery and timing that is not currently justified.

The Dunsink Urban Area Plan identifies land for schools. However, allocating land for a school does not guarantee that it will be built or open when children need places.

The Department of Education is responsible for decisions about school provision. The timing, funding and delivery of school accommodation.

A new population of potentially 37,500 people could create substantial demand for primary and secondary school places.

The availability of places in surrounding communities needs to be properly assessed, and new school facilities must be delivered when they are required.

The Dunsink Urban Area Plan identifies existing policing provision, including Finglas Garda Station. It raises concerns about whether existing Garda resources will have the capacity to meet additional demand of a new town the size of Dunsink.

The plan includes proposals for community facilities and recreational amenities on the old Dunsink Dump land.

Fingal County Council has confirmed that the proposed playing pitches would be for Fingal County Council clubs only.

There is a risk that homes could be delivered before the wider infrastructure and services needed to support them. This could leave new residents and neighbouring communities dealing with inadequate services, transport difficulties and delays in completing the planned neighbourhoods.

It is essential that for the development of the scale of Dunsink infrastructure must be planned, funded and delivered in step with housing.

Scribblestown Lane is one of the last remaining parts of the rural landscape of old Finglas. It has significant historical, landscape and biodiversity value, including mature trees, and hedgerows.

There are concerns that road widening, increased traffic and construction activity associated with the Dunsink development could fundamentally change the character of the lane, demolish housing on the lane and surrounding housing estate, remove established vegetation and damage wildlife habitats. There are also concerns about potential impacts on adjoining green space and Tolka Valley Park.

Scribblestown Lane should be protected as a historic rural route and green corridor, rather than turned into a major commuter or construction road. It’s one of the last pieces of old Finglas and needs to be protected.

You can read more information about Scribblestown Lane here https://www.dunsink.com/scribblestown-lane

Dunsinea Lane forms part of the historic landscape surrounding Dunsink Observatory, one of Ireland's most important scientific landmarks. Its rural character, mature hedgerows, trees and natural habitats contribute to the area's heritage and biodiversity.

The lane is also connected to the history of Sir William Rowan Hamilton and his celebrated mathematical discovery at nearby Broom Bridge in Cabra.

There are concerns that road widening, increased traffic and construction activity could permanently damage its rural character, ecological value and historic setting. Dunsinea Lane should be retained and protected as a local rural road, not used as a major commuter or construction route.

You can read more about Dunsinea Lane here https://www.dunsink.com/dunsinea-lane

The Dunsink and Scribblestown area contains a valuable network of habitats, including species-rich grasslands, meadows, mature trees and hedgerows. These provide food, shelter and breeding areas for birds, bees, insects and other wildlife, while allowing species to move between green spaces.

Research by Trinity College Dublin has highlighted the importance of urban habitats for native bees and pollinators. These habitats are particularly valuable as development and urbanisation reduce natural spaces elsewhere.

It is physically connected to Tolka Valley Park which is the third most biodiverse park in Dublin.

Removing mature hedgerows, trees and meadows can fragment wildlife corridors and cause lasting ecological damage. New planting cannot immediately replace habitats that have taken decades to establish. Protecting biodiversity must therefore be an integral part of the Dunsink development, not an afterthought.

You can read more about the biodiversity in Dunsink and Scribblestown here https://www.dunsink.com/biodiversity

Dunsink is not simply an empty former landfill. It is the site of decades of municipal waste disposal, with a significant environmental history that must be properly investigated before it is considered suitable for public recreation.

Historical records cited on our Dunsink Dump page indicate that approximately 4.4 million tonnes of waste occupied around 61 hectares. In 2002, an EPA licensing report documented a serious leachate-pump failure which resulted in landfill leachate entering Scribblestown Stream and flowing into the River Tolka. The incident was associated with the loss of fish and aquatic invertebrates along a 6.5-kilometre stretch downstream. Fingal County Council subsequently pleaded guilty to an offence involving the discharge of polluting matter into the Tolka.

There are also ongoing questions about landfill gas, including methane readings above trigger levels in a small area, environmental monitoring incidents and reports of historic and unauthorised dumping in the wider Dunsink area. These issues require transparent investigation and clear answers.

Despite this history, the Dunsink Urban Area Plan proposes using the former landfill as part of a Regional Park and Recreational Hub. Designating a former landfill as green space does not make it safe for public use. Its suitability must be demonstrated through independent scientific assessment, not assumed.

We are calling on Fingal County Council to:

• Independently investigate the former landfill and all known or suspected dumping sites in the wider area.

• Test soil, groundwater, surface water and landfill gas, including methane and other relevant contaminants.

• Publish the findings, including the results of environmental monitoring and any reportable incidents, in clear and accessible language.

• Set out a transparent remediation, monitoring and long-term aftercare plan, with clear responsibilities and timescales.

• Demonstrate that the site is suitable for its intended recreational use before it is opened to the public.

Before Dunsink Dump becomes a public park, its environmental legacy must be fully investigated, its risks understood and the necessary safeguards demonstrated.

You can read more about Dunsink Dump here https://www.dunsink.com/dunsink-dump

You can follow the latest Dunsink updates here https://www.dunsink.com/dunsink-updates

The current Dunsink Urban Area Plan states that Elm Green Golf Course will be demolished under the current plans. More information about the Golf Course https://www.elmgreengolfclub.ie/

Pavee Point Co-Director Martin Collins submitted a statement on the proposed redevelopment of the Dunsink area to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community.

The statement addressed concerns regarding the displacement of Traveller families currently living in Dunsink, inaction regarding Fingal County Council’s Traveller Accommodation Programme 2025-2029, and the lack of any assurances from Fingal County Council that the accommodation needs of families in the area might be met. You can read the full statement here https://www.paveepoint.ie/concerns-raised-over-redevelopment-of-dunsink-area/

Serious concerns have been raised that the Dunsink Urban Area Plan (DUAP) could undermine the ambitions for UNESCO World Heritage recognition.

The Observatory’s historic setting and surrounding landscape are important considerations in protecting its heritage significance. Large-scale development must therefore be carefully assessed to ensure that it does not compromise the qualities that make Dunsink internationally important.

The implications extend beyond Dunsink itself. The proposed World Heritage initiative connects the Observatory with Birr Castle and the ambition to include Armagh Observatory. Any threat to the integrity of one part of this shared heritage deserves careful consideration.

You can read the full impacts here https://www.dunsink.com/dunsink-observatory