You can shape new boundaries for the Balbriggan Local Election Area.
Your opportunity to influence how your town and surrounds are represented at Fingal County Council.
I am a firm believer in public participation in local government and am keen that people get involved with all public consultations and make submissions of their views.
Currently Balbriggan is represented by 8 County Councillors on a 40-member council. These 8 Balbriggan Councillors represent the current Local Election Area which includes Balbriggan, Balrothery, Skerries, Rush and Lusk and the rural parts of north County Dublin. The geographical area these counsellors represent is under review. The 2019 Irish local elections will be held in June 2019, on the same day as the European Parliament election.
Who are Balbriggan’s Councillors?
Your Councillors are Tom O’Leary, Malachy Quinn, Brian Dennehy, Ken Farrell, Grainne Maguire, Barry Martin, Tony Murphy and David O'Connor
Details of each of your councillors can be found HERE: http://www.fingalcoco.ie/your-council/your-local-councillors/
Local Councillors are responsible for representing their Local Election Area on local issues such as housing, local infrastructure, amenities as well as providing leadership and guidance to the community they facilitate communication between the community and the council and vice versa and participate in decision making processes at regular area meetings.
Review of Boundaries Underway
A review of the local electoral areas is now being undertaken in advance of the next Local (Council) elections that will take place in May 2019 and the Boundary Committees will have to consider the results of Census 2016. The policy objectives of the review are to reduce the size of territoriality large local electoral areas and to designate urban-focused local electoral areas around the larger towns.
Balbriggan is facing changes to its boundaries possibly even a split between new LEA’s could be proposed, the new Local Election Areas will have to be between 5 and 7 seats, so towns will have to be moved between wards with at least two new Local Election Areas created within Fingal. The Balbriggan LEA will have to reduce from 8 seats to 7 seats possibly less, the size of Balbriggan LEA will have to reduce, and some neighbouring areas be absorbed into new and existing LEA’s. The outcome is unknown, and it is imperative that people have their say and make their submissions. A Notice Inviting Submissions can be viewed below.
Making a submission
Members of the public can make submissions to the Boundary Committee by email to boundarycommittee@housing.gov.ie or by post to: Secretary, Local Electoral Area Boundary Committees, Room 1.67, Custom House, Dublin 1, to arrive no later than 5pm on Monday 19th February. Please note that all submissions will be made available on the Committees’ website and may also be subject to Freedom of Information requests.
My own submission will be as follows:
"The integrity of Balbriggan & Balrothery must be maintained and must be central to any proposed redrawn LEA or new LEA.
Representation
Based on the 2016 National Census the population of Fingal County is 296,020 a council of 40 seats equates to 7401 per seat and Balbriggan population being 21,722 illustrates that Balbriggan and its area must be represented by the maximum seats permissible which is 7.
Boundary
Balbriggan and Balrothery must be central to any new or redrawn LEA. Any towns or urban areas that are decoupled from the existing Balbriggan LEA must also not end up with less representation. The common-sense new boundary would include those along the county border Garristown, Naul, Balbriggan, Balrothery and Skerries"
Please feel free to copy and paste as a template for your own submission and email to boundarycommittee@housing.gov.ie before 5pm on Monday 19th February
Notice:
