Council delivering capital projects at unprecedented scale

Fingal County Council is currently delivering capital projects at an unprecedent scale, councillors were told as they approved a three-year Capital Programme worth €1.43 billion at the October monthly meeting of the Council.

The Council’s Director of Finance, Oliver Hunt, told the meeting there are currently 121 projects worth €730 million on site across the county and added that Council expenditure on Capital projects over the past year has risen by €132m from €431m in 2024 to €563m, an increase of 30% year on year.  Overall, the plan reflects a total investment of €2 billion in the social fabric of the County over the 2025 - 2028 period.

The Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Tom O’Leary, said: “Having the one of the fastest growing populations in the country means there is a lot of pressure on the Council to deliver housing and community infrastructure so record figures in terms of projects and money spent shows that Fingal is stepping up to the plate. The result is more housing, new community centres, new libraries, new transport networks and more open spaces. We are also upgrading existing infrastructure to ensure it is fit for purpose and climate resilient.”

The three-year Capital Programme will run from 2026 to 2028. It is estimated that €540m will be spent in 2026, €481m in 2027, and €413m in 2028 on 309 individual projects across seven different Council departments.

The biggest investment will be in Housing at €884m while €264m will be spent on Planning and Strategic Infrastructure projects. A further €116m is earmarked for projects planned by the Economic Enterprise Tourism and Cultural Development Department while €102m will be spent by Environment, Climate Action, Active Travel and Sport. 

The Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly, said: “The record levels of delivery in 2025 represents significant progress and investment in the County and we are now seeing on the ground the benefits of careful and strategic planning over the past few years. We are aware, as we increase the number of private, affordable, social and cost rental homes across Fingal, we also need to provide the facilities and supports which will allow our new communities to grow in a sustainable way and integrate fully with those already living in the area.”

The scale of delivery is evident with 121 projects worth €730 million currently on site. This time last year that figure stood at 111 and represented a spend of €574m while in 2023 there were 67 projects worth €215m on site, and in October 2022 there were 37 Capital Programme projects worth €117m on site.

Sixteen of the projects currently on site are worth in excess of €5m and account for €651m of the onsite investment of €730m. These include the mixed tenure housing developments at Church Fields in Mulhuddart, Ballymastone in Donabate, Mooretown in Swords and Hayestown in Rush. There are also social housing developments at Holywell, Seatown Road and North Street in Swords, Mourneview in Skerries and Remount in Lusk.  

The list also features two major transport infrastructure projects, the Broadmeadow Greenway and the Ongar to Barnhill Link Road which, when completed, will open up housing lands to the south of Hansfield railway station. Community infrastructure projects include Culture House Fingal in the Swords Cultural Quarter, Baldoyle Community Centre, Skerries Library, Donabate Library and Ballymastone Recreational Hub in Donabate.  

Grants make up 79% of the funding for the Capital Programme with a further €159m coming from development levies and €43m being provided from Fingal’s revenue budget. An additional €34m will be generated through loans and other sources. Another €44m worth of projects in the three-year plan are under assessment for possible funding sources.

The presentation of the 2026-2028 Capital Programme to councillors can be viewed here.

A copy of the 2026-2028 Capital Programme is available here.

The Capital Programme is a rolling plan which is revised annually as time and other constraints may vary the progress of projects within a given period. The decision of councillors to agree the Capital Programme 2026-2028 does not confer approval on any individual project. This can only be done through the normal statutory processes and compliance with the Public Spending Code. Funding arrangements also need to be clearly identified and secured in advance of committing to any project.