Building the future of Dublin: Plans for new “Dunsink City Quarter” unveiled

Fingal County Council has today launched the first phase of a public consultation on plans for the largest remaining greenfield landbank inside Dublin’s M50.The draft Urban Area Plan for “Dunsink City Quarter” outlines a bold vision to transform lands at Dunsink into a vibrant, residential-led mixed-use neighbourhood. 

The Dunsink Plan aims to deliver new homes alongside essential community facilities, employment opportunities, and educational provision, while carefully respecting the area’s cultural heritage which includes Dunsink Observatory, the Royal Canal and the Tolka Valley.

Strategically located inside the M50 between Castleknock, Blanchardstown and Dublin City Centre, adjacent to two mainline rail stations, a substantial 435-hectare landholding of underutilised lands make up the Dunsink City Quarter, placing it as the most ambitious Transport Oriented Development opportunity in the country. The lands at Dunsink represent one of the most significant remaining landbanks within the Metropolitan area of Dublin, close to established residential neighbourhoods including Finglas, Ashtown, Castleknock and Blanchardstown.  

Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Tony Murphy says: “Today marks a major milestone for Fingal as we launch the vision for Dunsink City Quarter - a transformational, people-first development that will provide not just high-quality homes, but a vibrant new community. This ambitious plan will deliver a climate-resilient, well-connected urban quarter, designed around the principles of compact living, sustainable transport and rich natural heritage. 

“Dunsink represents a unique opportunity to create a place where people can truly live, work and thrive, while contributing to the long-term social and economic future of our county”. 

Following a significant variation to Fingal’s Development Plan 2023–2029, the lands at Dunsink were brought forward to support the prompt delivery of 2,500 new homes, helping to ensure Fingal can continue to meet housing demand at pace. But the Council’s vision goes beyond housing. The draft Urban Area Plan is focused on creating a true sense of place, with commitments to deliver new schools, parks and open spaces, active travel networks, and cultural amenities and laying the foundations for a vibrant, well-connected community in the heart of Dublin. 

The proposed “Dunsink City Quarter” is centred around eight development areas including three residential neighbourhoods: Dunsink East, Dunsink Central, and Dunsink West. A Cultural Quarter centred on Dunsink Observatory as well as a new Regional Park and Recreational Hub on the former landfill are also included in this ambitious plan which has the potential to deliver an estimated 18,500 homes in three phases. Phase 1 will see the construction of an initial 2,500 homes, with Phase 2 delivering a further 8,000 homes and the final phase adding another 8,000 homes.  The development will include a range of designs and tenures including social, affordable purchase, cost rental and private sales.

The draft Plan includes new transport links such as enhanced connections to the adjacent Ashtown and Navan Road Parkway train stations, the Luas Green Line extension to Tyrrelstown, the implementation of a local bus service to Blanchardstown, and the extension of bus routes to serve Dunsink. Active Travel modes are also a major part of the proposals, with greenway extensions linking Dunsink to both train stations, the Royal Canal, Hamilton Way and Tolka Valley Greenways, as well as to the new Regional Park and Recreational Hub, which will eventually be incorporated into an Active Travel loop, linking each section of the City Quarter to each other. 

Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly says: “Dunsink City Quarter represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver much-needed homes at scale while creating a vibrant, inclusive community for people to live, work and thrive. As part of the variation to our Development Plan, extensive work was undertaken to inform our approach to planning for future needs in the County. This new City Quarter in Dunsink will play a key role in that, and we are committed to delivering it. Building on the commitments given during the variation process to progress development at these lands, work on the initial phases will progress following the adoption of the draft Plan”.

It has recently been confirmed that Fingal County Council has secured funding in excess of €20 million under the Government’s new €1 billion Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund (HIIF) to deliver key upgrades at the Dunsink Lands, including improvements to Scribblestown Lane and Dunsinea Lane and associated infrastructure. This HIIF investment will support road widening and realignment, alongside the delivery of a new active travel greenway, enabling the development of this strategically important landbank.

The provision of community infrastructure including community centres, creches, and schools is an integral part of the City Quarter plans, with each phase committing to providing these in tandem with new housing, streets, active travel routes, and public lighting.  

Director of Planning and Development at Fingal County Council, Róisín Burke says: “This is a strategically important development that will deliver new homes, transport links, and community infrastructure in line with national and regional policy. Through integrated land use and transport planning, this Urban Area Plan will support sustainable mobility, reduce car dependency and ensure the long-term creation of a balanced, climate-resilient community”.

The draft Urban Area Plan for Dunsink is now on display and members of the public are invited to have their say. A draft of the proposed Urban Area Plan, the Strategic Environmental Assessment Environmental Report and Natura Impact Report and the determinations made in respect of Strategic Environmental Assessment and Appropriate Assessment may be inspected from Friday 19th June 2026 to 31st July 2026 (both dates inclusive) during normal opening hours (Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm and Friday 9am to 4.30pm) at: 

• Fingal County Council Offices at County Hall, Main Street, Swords 
• Fingal County Council Civic Offices, Grove Road, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 

They can also be seen at Fingal Branch Libraries during normal library opening hours. See Fingal-library-network for opening hours for each location. 

The documents may also be viewed on Fingal County Council’s website at: https://consult.fingal.ie/en/browse. 

Strategic Environmental Assessment 

In complying with SEA Directive (2001/42/EC), the European Union (Land Use Planning – Strategic Environmental Assessment) Regulations 2025 and the Planning and Development Act 2024 (as amended), Fingal County Council has determined that a Strategic Environmental Assessment is required to be carried out. An Environmental Report has been prepared. This report is available for public inspection with the Draft Urban Area Plan as set out above. A written submission or observation with respect to the draft plan, and associated Environmental Report, made to Fingal County Council from Friday 19th June 2026 to 5pm on Friday 31st July 2026 will be taken into consideration before the finalisation of the plan.

Appropriate Assessment (AA)

The Planning Authority has made a determination under subsection (3) of Section 202 of the Planning and Development Act 2024 (as amended) that the likelihood of the proposed Urban Area Plan having significant effects on one or more European Sites cannot be excluded and that as a consequence and having regard to the conservation objectives relating to the European sites, an Appropriate Assessment of the proposed plan is required to be carried out. 

A Natura Impact Report (incorporating the Screening for Appropriate Assessment) has been prepared pursuant to Section 203 of the Planning and Development Act 2024 (as amended). This report is available for public inspection with the Draft Urban Area Plan as set out above.

Submissions by members of the public with respect to the implications of the proposed plan for any European site having regard to the conservation objectives relating to that site are invited from Friday 19th June 2026 to 5pm on Friday 31st July 2026.

Making a Submission 

Submissions in respect of the Draft Urban Area Plan, accompanying documents, Environmental Report and Natura Impact Report may be made to the Planning Authority from Friday 19th June 2026 to Friday 31st July 2026 (both dates inclusive).  Submissions must arrive no later than 5.00pm on Friday 31st July 2026.  

Submissions can be made as follows:  

• Online at https://consult.fingal.ie/en/browse or 
• By post to: Senior Executive Officer, Planning and Development Department, Fingal County Council, County Hall, Main St., Swords, Co. Dublin, K67X8Y2. 

Please make your submission by one medium only i.e. online or in writing. 

Submissions cannot be accepted by email. Clearly mark your submission for the Draft Dunsink Urban Area Plan. 

Any submission shall state your name, address and where relevant, the body or organisation represented. Children or groups representing the interests of children are entitled to make submissions on the Draft Urban Area Plan.  

All written submissions received from Friday 19th June 2026 to 5pm on Friday 31st July 2026 (both dates inclusive) will be taken into consideration before the making of the Urban Area Plan. 

The details including the names of those making submissions may be shared with relevant Council Departments or their agents involved in the making of the Urban Area Plan and may form part of reports linked to the making of the Urban Area Plan. 

 The Chief Executive’s Report on submissions received will include the names of those who made submissions and will be included in the minutes of that meeting and subsequently published on the Fingal County Council website.