Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council

Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council (Irish: Comhairle Contae Dhún Laoghaire–Ráth an Dúin) is the authority responsible for local government in the county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. It is one of three local authorities that succeeded the former Dublin County Council on its abolition on 1 January 1994 and one of four councils in the old County Dublin. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and environment. The council has 40 elected members. Elections are held every five years and are by single transferable vote. The head of the council has the title of Cathaoirleach (Chairperson). The county administration is headed by a Chief Executive, Frank Curran. The county town is Dún Laoghaire. It serves a population of approximately 206,260.

Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council Comhairle Contae Dhún Laoghaire–Ráth an Dúin
Type
Type	County council
Leadership
Cathaoirleach	Mary Hanafin, FF
Structure
Seats	40
Political groups	Fine Gael (13)   Fianna Fáil (7)   Labour Party (6)   Green Party (6)   PBP/Solidarity (1)   Social Democrats (1)   Independent (6)
Elections
Last election	24 May 2019
Motto
Ó Chuan go Sliabh (Irish) "From Harbour to Mountain"
Meeting place
County Hall, Dún Laoghaire
Website
dlrcoco.ie

Location of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown in Ireland

History

Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council came into being on 1 January 1994.^[1][2]

Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council is a successor to local government structures that have existed in the area since 1834. The Council was established under the Local Government (Dublin) Act 1993 by the merger of the Corporation of Dún Laoghaire and that part of Dublin County Council that chiefly corresponded to the former Rathdown No 1 Rural District.

The two sides of the county have distinct histories in terms of local government structures. On the Dún Laoghaire side of the county, the Borough of Dún Laoghaire had been established by the Local Government (Dublin) Act 1930 as a successor body to urban districts of Dún Laoghaire, Blackrock, Dalkey, and Killiney and Ballybrack.^[3] Those Commissioners for Kingstown were established in 1834 and were subsequently renamed Kingstown Urban District Council and then Dún Laoghaire Urban District Council. On the Rathdown side of the County, Dublin County Council and Rathdown No. 1 Rural District Council were established under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898. Rathdown No. 1 Rural District Council was abolished by the Local Government (Dublin) Act 1930.^[4]

On its formation, the Town Hall in Dún Laoghaire became the headquarters of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council.^[5] It was subsequently renamed County Hall.^[6]

Local electoral areas

Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council has 40 seats, which is divided into the following seven local electoral areas, defined by electoral divisions.^[7]

LEA	Definition	Seats
Blackrock	Blackrock-Booterstown, Blackrock-Carysfort, Blackrock-Central, Blackrock-Glenomena, Blackrock-Newpark, Blackrock-Seapoint, Blackrock-Templehill, Blackrock-Williamstown, Foxrock-Beechpark, Foxrock-Deansgrange, Stillorgan-Priory; and those parts of the electoral divisions of Blackrock-Monkstown and Blackrock-Stradbrook situated west of a line drawn along Stradbrook Road.	6
Dundrum	Ballinteer-Broadford, Ballinteer-Ludford, Ballinteer-Meadowbroads, Ballinteer-Meadowmount, Churchtown-Castle, Churchtown-Landscape, Churchtown-Nutgrove, Churchtown-Orwell, Churchtown-Woodlawn, Clonskeagh-Farranboley, Clonskeagh-Windy Arbour, Dundrum-Kilmacud, Dundrum-Sweetmount, Dundrum-Taney; that part of the electoral division of Ballinteer-Marley situated north of a line drawn along Grange Road;that part of the electoral division of Dundrum-Balally situated north of a line drawn along Blackthorn Drive;and that part of the electoral division of Dundrum-Sandyford situated north of a line drawn as follows: Commencing at the intersection, at the south-eastern corner of the electoral division of Ballinteer-Ludford, of the southern boundary of the electoral division of Ballinteer-Ludford and the western boundary of the electoral division of Dundrum-Sandyford; thence proceeding in an easterly direction along the southern boundary of the grounds of Gort Mhuire to the point where it meets Ballawley Park; thence commencing in an easterly direction and proceeding along the northern boundary of the said park to its intersection with the eastern boundary of the electoral division of Dundrum-Sandyford.	7
Dún Laoghaire	Cabinteely-Pottery, Dalkey-Bullock, Dalkey-Coliemore, Dalkey Hill, Dalkey Upper, Dun Laoghaire-East Central, Dun Laoghaire-Glasthule, Dun Laoghaire-Glenageary, Dun Laoghaire-Monkstown Farm, Dun Laoghaire-Mount Town, Dun Laoghaire-Sallynoggin East, Dun Laoghaire-Sallynoggin South, Dun Laoghaire-Sallynoggin West, Dun Laoghaire-Salthill, Dun Laoghaire-Sandycove, Dun Laoghaire-West Central; and those parts of the electoral divisions of Blackrock-Monkstown and Blackrock-Stradbrook not contained in the local electoral area of Blackrock.	7
Glencullen–Sandyford	Ballinteer-Woodpark, Glencullen, Tibradden; and those parts of the electoral divisions of Ballinteer-Marley, Dundrum-Balally and Dundrum-Sandyford not contained in the local electoral area of Dundrum.	7
Killiney–Shankill	Ballybrack, Cabinteely-Granitefield, Cabinteely-Kilbogget, Cabinteely-Loughlinstown, Dalkey-Avondale, Killiney North, Killiney South, Shankill-Rathmichael, Shankill-Rathsallagh and Shankill-Shanganagh.	7
Stillorgan	Clonskeagh-Belfield, Clonskeagh-Milltown, Clonskeagh-Roebuck, Foxrock-Carrickmines, Foxrock-Torquay, Stillorgan-Deerpark, Stillorgan-Kilmacud, Stillorgan-Leopardstown, Stillorgan-Merville and Stillorgan-Mount Merrion.	6

Councillors

2019 seats summary

Party		Seats
	Fine Gael	13
	Fianna Fáil	7
	Labour	6
	Green	6
	PBP/Solidarity	2
	Social Democrats	1
	Independent	5

Councillors by electoral area

This list reflects the order in which councillors were elected on 24 May 2019.^[8]

Council members from 2019 election
Local electoral area	Name	Party
Blackrock	Séafra Ó Faoláin^[a]		Green
	Marie Baker		Fine Gael
	Mary Hanafin		Fianna Fáil
	Barry Ward^[a]		Fine Gael
	Kate Feeney		Fianna Fáil
	Deirdre Kingston		Labour
Dundrum	Daniel Dunne		Green
	Seán McLoughlin		Independent
	Shay Brennan		Fianna Fáil
	Anna Grainger		Fine Gael
	Peter O'Brien		Labour
	Jim O’Leary		Fine Gael
	Anne Colgan		Independent
Dún Laoghaire	Ossian Smyth^[a]		Green
	Cormac Devlin^[a]		Fianna Fáil
	Juliet O'Connell		Labour
	John Bailey^[a]		Fine Gael
	Melisa Halpin^[b]		PBP/Solidarity
	Lorraine Hall		Fine Gael
	Dave Quinn		Social Democrats
Glencullen–Sandyford	Lettie McCarthy		Labour
	Deirdre Ní Fhloinn^[a]		Green
	Michael Fleming		Independent
	Emma Blain		Fine Gael
	Tom Murphy		Fianna Fáil
	Lynsey McGovern		Independent
	Kazi Ahmed		Fine Gael
Killiney–Shankill	Una Power		Green
	Carrie Smyth		Labour
	Jennifer Carroll MacNeill^[a]		Fine Gael
	Hugh Lewis^[b]^[c]		PBP/Solidarity
	Jim Gildea		Fine Gael
	Denis O'Callaghan		Labour
	Michael Clark		Fianna Fáil
Stillorgan	Barry Saul		Fine Gael
	Eva Elizabeth Dowling		Green
	Maeve O'Connell		Fine Gael
	Dónal Smith		Fianna Fáil
	Deirdre Donnelly		Independent
	John Kennedy		Fine Gael

Notes

1. Replaced during term, see table below for details.
2. Solidarity–People Before Profit was renamed as People Before Profit/Solidarity in June 2021.
3. Changed party, see table below for details.

Co-options

Party		Outgoing	Electoral area	Reason	Date	Co-optee
	Fine Gael	John Bailey	Dún Laoghaire	Death	July 2019	Mary Fayne
	Green	Ossian Smyth	Dún Laoghaire	Elected to Dáil Éireann at the 2020 general election	February 2020	Tom Kivlehan
	Fianna Fáil	Cormac Devlin	Dún Laoghaire	Elected to Dáil Éireann at the 2020 general election	February 2020	Justin Moylan
	Fine Gael	Jennifer Carroll MacNeill	Killiney-Shankill	Elected to Dáil Éireann at the 2020 general election	February 2020	Frank McNamara
	Fine Gael	Barry Ward	Blackrock	Elected to Seanad Éireann at the 2020 Seanad election	June 2020	Maurice Dockrell
	Green	Deirdre Ní Fhloinn	Glencullen-Sandyford	Resignation	October 2020	Oisín O'Connor
	Green	Séafra Ó Faoláin	Blackrock	Resignation	August 2022	TBA

Changes in affiliation

Name	Electoral area	Elected as		New affiliation		Date
Hugh Lewis^[9]	Killiney-Shankill		PBP/Solidarity		Independent	May 2021

Controversies

M50 and compensation to Jackson Way Properties

An agreement was reached for Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council to compensate Jackson Way Properties by €12,860,700 for the compulsory purchase in October 1998 of its freehold interest in the lands, adjoining the M50 motorway.^[10] The Council agreed to pay costs and expenses properly incurred by Jackson Way Properties in relation to preparation and submission of its claim.

The 2003 award total is broken down as follows:

• Land taken – €9,691,000
• Injurious affection – €2,296,700 and
• Disturbance – €873,000.

It had been the view of the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) that €4.2 million of this award represents the present value of corrupt enrichment by the property owners although this view is based on hearsay evidence given by Frank Dunlop. A company called Paisley Park Investments Ltd were registered as full owners in 1992 and the land was transferred to Jackson Way Properties in 1993, the beneficial owners of which are believed by CAB to be arcade owner James Kennedy and solicitor John Coldwell. However, in January 2014 the freezing order was lifted owing to the collapse of the associated political corruption trial involving Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council Cathaoirleach Tony Fox;^[11] damages were subsequently sought against CAB by Jackson Way.^[12]

In early 2016,^[13] the Office of the Information Commissioner found against the council for refusing to comply with a Freedom of Information request relating to the case, stating as follows, "I find it very difficult to accept that the Council holds no records coming within the scope of the request that cannot be released to the applicant under the FOI Act. It seems to me that the Council adopted a blanket approach to the request by claiming that the exemptions applied to all records coming within the scope of the request and did not conduct a record by record examination."

Criminal Assets Bureau investigation

The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) successfully obtained a High Court order on 26 July 2006 freezing land assets of 107 acres (0.43 km²) at Carrickmines, County Dublin, owned by Jackson Way Properties Ltd and preventing their sale.^[14] CAB contended that these lands had been rezoned on 16 December 1997 by Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council from agricultural to industrial use after Frank Dunlop bribed and made corrupt payments to councillors to secure their support in the rezoning vote. That vote increased the value of just 17 acres (69,000 m²) of the property from €8 million to €61 million. CAB has interviewed and taken statements from Dunlop and will use him as a witness against a number of property developers; Dunlop served a jail sentence for corruption in Arbour Hill from May 2009 to July 2010.^[15]

The lands in question have been the subject of investigation by the Mahon Tribunal in 2003 and 2004.

Criminal Assets Bureau v. Jackson Way Properties was due for hearing in the High Court Dublin in October 2010, which was vigorously defended with Jackson Way denying any wrongdoing and Mr Kennedy a tax exile currently living in Gibraltar returning to give evidence in the case. Jackson Way gave the court notice that they intend to subpoena councillors to give evidence. No Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown representative to date^[when?] has been charged with any form of wrongdoing in relation to rezoning, likely because in January 2014 the freezing order was lifted owing to the collapse of a political corruption trial involving Frank Dunlop and Jacksonway's subsequent legal proceedings against CAB.

Revenue generation

There have been complaints about the Council's policies regarding commercial rates and parking charges and also complaints from business owners in the town about the way in which the Council enforces the collection of parking charges and fines.^[16][17][18] Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown local authority area has the second highest level of revenue generation of local authorities in the state after Dublin City.^[19]

References

1. Local Government (Dublin) Act 1993, s. 11: Establishment of councils of administrative counties (No. 31 of 1993, s. 11). Signed on 21 December 1993. Act of the Oireachtas. from the original on 30 May 2019. Retrieved 15 September 2020, from Irish Statute Book.
2. Local Government (Dublin) Act 1993 Commencement Order 1993 (S.I. No. 400 of 1993). Signed on 22 December 1993. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020, from Irish Statute Book.
3. Local Government (Dublin) Act 1930, s. 3: Formation of the Borough of Dun Laoghaire (No. 27 of 1930, s. 3). Signed on 17 July 1930. Act of the Oireachtas. from the original on 18 September 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020, from Irish Statute Book.
4. Local Government (Dublin) Act 1930, s. 82: Abolition of rural district councils in the County (No. 27 of 1930, s. 82). Signed on 17 July 1930. Act of the Oireachtas. from the original on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2020, from Irish Statute Book.
5. Local Government (Dublin) Act 1993, s. 9: Establishment and boundaries of administrative counties (No. 31 of 1993, s. 9). Act of the Oireachtas. from the original on 30 May 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2019, from Irish Statute Book.
6. "Dun Laoghaire town hall revamp to cost taxpayer a cool €3m". Dublin Live. 5 December 2013. from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
7. County of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Local Electoral Areas Order 2018 (S.I. No. 615 of 2018). Signed on 19 December 2018. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2019, from Irish Statute Book.
8. "Local Elections 2014: Results" (PDF). Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. pp. 114–127. (PDF) from the original on 24 October 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
9. "A Statement Of People Before Profit". 10 May 2021. from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
10. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Co Co Statement on Jackson Way compensation, November 18 2003^{[permanent dead link]}
11. "Dunlop collapses trial for corruption, Irish Independent, July 25, 2013". from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
12. "Jim Kennedy firm claims damages from CAB over Carrickmines". The Irish Times. 12 July 2016. from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
13. . Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
14. . Irish Independent. 27 July 2006. Archived from the original on 16 January 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2006.
15. "Dunlop released from Arbour Hill Prison after serving almost 14 months". The Irish Times. 12 July 2010. from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
16. "A Tale of Two Towns". The Irish Times. 8 February 2014. from the original on 16 March 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
17. "Why Dún Laoghaire Retailers may have to get Out of Dodge". The Irish Times. 7 November 2016. from the original on 8 August 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
18. "Our Towns are Dying while Councils Bleed Motorists Dry for Revenue". The Irish Times. 31 January 2014. from the original on 5 February 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
19. "Local Property Tax Statistics (2016), [[Revenue Commissioners]], Revised Edition, April 2017" (PDF). (PDF) from the original on 8 August 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2017.

External links

• Official website