Fingal, edge of Dublin, Ireland
ABOUT FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL
Fingal is the edge of Dublin, Ireland. Fingal is defined by the diversity of its landscape. It is rural, urban and suburban. It is home to established communities who trace their roots back hundreds of years these sit side by side with communities who are emerging with little past but exciting futures.
Fingal County Council provides an extensive range of infrastructure services, and plays an active role in the development of the area’s industry, business, social, arts, heritage and cultural affairs.
Dublin Airport remains the most significant economic hub in Fingal and is of major national significance due to its employment base, passenger throughput and airfreight services. Dublin Airport is Fingal’s single largest economic entity.
Our industrial base includes computer software and hardware, pharmaceuticals, food processing, electrical / electronics, crafts and services. Fingal is Ireland’s primary horticultural production region, Howth harbour is the biggest fishing harbour on the East Coast.
VALUES
“To improve the quality of life of our citizens and communities by developing our county and strengthening the region through sustainable economic growth”
As a Local Authority Fingal County Council is:
- Prosperous : enables people and businesses to make the most of opportunities to increase their prosperity and to enable society as a whole to benefit from that prosperity
- Community focused : to enable communities to flourish, becoming stronger and safer places to love, offering improved opportunities and a better quality of life.
- Smarter : we will promote and support life-long learning to increase opportunities and to share the benefits of our achievements
- Greener : to improve our natural and built environment and the sustainable use and enjoyment of it.
- Healthier : we will help people to sustain and improve our citizens’ health, especially in disadvantaged communities, by providing leisure activities and ensuring that Fingal is accessible to everybody.
We make these Core Values real through our work when we:
- Strengthen Democracy
- Work in Partnership
- Promote Equality and Justice
- Provide Community Leadership and support the development of leadership within the Community
- Are Open, Honest and Transparent and provide excellent customer service
- Social Inclusion proof plans and strategies
- Deliver Value for Money
- Take the needs of future generations into account i.e. plan for sustainable development
- Encourage Vibrant, Innovative and Committed Staff
KEY FIGURES
Area:
45.000 hectares (173 square miles, 450 km²)
Part of the Greater Dublin Region
16 km to the centre of Dublin – Fingal County Council borders with Dublin City Council
We have 88km of coastline stretching from Sutton to Balbriggan.
3 protected estuaries, salt marches and thirteen major beaches and the River Liffey boarders our south-western edge.
Airport is situated within Fingal County Council Region
Important primary road routes pass through the County
Population
Inhabitants: 273,000 approx.
Business
More than 5,712 businesses in the Fingal County Council Region
Educational institutions:
Post Primary Schools
Vocational Schools
Community & Comprehensive Schools
Institute of Technology Blanchardstown
STRATEGIES, VISIONS & CHALLENGES
Strategic Policy Objectives for Outward Service Provision
Community, Recreation & Amenities:
To support the work of community and voluntary organisations and to develop greater civic pride and a stronger sense of Fingal identity. To develop inclusive, sustainable communities and enhance the quality of life of society as a whole, including developing a range of leisure time options for residents of the County.
Strategies:
• Fingal Leisure Strategy
• Biodiversity Strategy
• Tree Strategy
• Arts Plan
• Sports Plan
Environment:
To develop and implement sustainable policies for the protection of our environment; with the primary goal of focusing on prevention, reduction and minimisation of waste.
Strategies:
• Dublin Regional Waste Management Plan
• Fingal Litter Management Plan
• Fingal Three Year Capital Programme
• Fingal Beach Management Scheme
Economic Development:
To promote economic activity and job creation in Fingal, an integral part of the internationally competitive Dublin City Region, by attracting suitable economic drivers to the County to strengthen economic development, working in partnership with state agencies and local business. To continue to attract inward investment, both national and international and to develop global trade links.
Strategies:
• Economic Development Action Plan for the Dublin City Region
• M1 Economic Corridor – Economic Development Plan
Fingal Development Board:
To advance the economic, social & cultural development of Fingal and to provide a better quality of life for all its citizens through the improvement of the coordinated delivery of publicly funded services in Fingal.
Strategies:
• Fingal Tourism Strategy 2009
• FDB Strategy 2009 -2012, “Building a Better Fingal”
• Fingal County Development Plan 2005-2011
Social Inclusion:
To develop and implement a Fingal County Council Social Inclusion Strategy that will help to provide better customer services, particularly for disadvantaged communities and people with disabilities and to develop a ‘Local Anti-Poverty and Social Inclusion Strategy’ (LAPSIS) in partnership with key stakeholders.
Strategies:
• Fingal Disability Implementation Plan 2008 – 2010
Climate Change:
To achieve savings in energy use of 3% per year initially and to work towards an overall target of 33% reduction by 2020.
Strategies:
Housing:
To provide or help to provide social and affordable homes that help develop sustainable communities that meet our citizen’s needs. To continue our strong commitment to the mixed tenure housing model of social, affordable and private housing.
Strategies:
• The Housing Strategy
• The Housing Action Plan
• The Traveller Accommodation Programme.
• “A Key to the Door” The Dublin Regional Homeless Plan
Planning:
To carry out our role as Planning Authority to best practice standards mindful of the duty of care for best planning and sustainable development, with the aim of meeting the infrastructural, social, and economic needs of the County.
Strategies:
• Fingal County Development Plan 2005-2011
• Local Area Plans and Studies
• Urban Centre Strategies
• Fingal Heritage Plan
• Architectural Conservation Areas
• Development Contribution Schemes
Transportation:
To support national and regional objectives to improve the transport infrastructure of Fingal, encouraging and promoting sustainable types of transport and to enhance the economic and social development of Fingal by providing necessary transport infrastructure according to the highest standards of integrated land use and transportation practice.
Strategies:
• Fingal County Development Plan 2005-2011
- Multi-Annual Road Works Programme
- Annual Works Programme
- Fingal Three Year Capital Programme
Water Services:
To safeguard the provision and distribution of the highest quality drinking water supply, and to manage the treatment and disposal of waste waters, protecting the assets of the natural environment for all citizens, while meeting the expanding needs of the county and ensuring good public health.
Strategies:
• Water Services Investment Programme
• Eastern River Basin District River Basin Management Plan and associated Programme of Measures
• Regional Water Conservation Programme
• Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Greater Dublin Strategic Drainage Study
• Water Services Regional Strategic Plan 2011-2017
• Fingal East Meath Flood Risk Management Plan (FEMFRAMS)
• Liffey Catchment Flood Risk Management Plan
Joint Policing Committees:
The Fingal Joint Policing Committee was one of 22 pilots established in late 2006 prior to a nationwide rollout in 2008. JPCs provide a forum where the Local Authority, the Gardaí, Oireachtas members and community interests can consult, discuss and make recommendations on matters affecting policing of an area. A series of public meetings have been held throughout the County to elicit the views of people about policing of local communities.
Inter-Agency Cooperation:
Fingal County Council will continue to work with the Voluntary, Statutory and Community sectors operating within the County to progress and implement policies and plans in areas of mutual interest.
List of additional Strategy Documents
- Annual Operational Plans
- Transforming Public Services – report of the Task Force on the Public Service
- Green Paper on Local Government Reform – Stronger Local Democracy: Options for Change (DOEHLG)
- Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005
- Regional Planning Guidelines, 2004 – 2010
- National Development Plan, 2007 -2013
- National Spatial Strategy, 2002 – 2020
- National Action Plan against Poverty and Social Exclusion, 2003 – 2005
- National Action Plan for Social Inclusion, 2007 -2016
- Homeless Action Plan, 2010 -2012
- Water Services Investment Programme, 2007 – 2009
- Delivering Value for People – Service Indicators in Local Government (DOEHLG, 2004)
- Value for Money Reports (DOEHLG)
- BMW Regional Operational Programme, 2007 – 2013
- Towards Sustainable Local Communities – Guidelines on Local Agenda 21 (DOEHLG, 2001)
- Performance Management and Development Systems
- Code of Conduct Guidelines for Elected Representatives and Employees
- The Report of the Tourism Renewal Group – Survival, Recovery and Growth: A Strategy for
- Renewing Irish Tourism, 2009 -2013 (Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism, 2009)
- LONGFORD COUNTY an 2010 – 2014
Challenges
The main challenges to Fingal County Council are:
- Rapid Growth of population; increase of over 22% between 2002 and 2006
- Reduction in available Budget for 2011, both Capital and Revenue
- Reduction in Human Resources
- Limited range of functions compared to our European Partners
- Lack of autonomous funding
- Level of central control
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Member of the Edge Cities Network since 1996.
Twinned with El Prat, Spain.
Member of the WINSENT Project which includes Anglesey County Council, Wales and Denbighshire County Council, Wales as Partners
Member of the following International Organisations:
1. Les Recontres,
2. Nuclear Free Local Authorities (N.F.L.A.),
3. International Federation of Housing and Planning (I.F.H.P) and
4. Airport Regions Conference (ARC)
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