Local News
Fingal is Ireland’s fastest growing county
Mayor of Fingal Cllr Darragh Butler shows the new population figure for Fingal, watched by Fingal County Council chief executive Paul Reid, and the CSO’s Census Management Senior Statistician, Deirdre Cullen, during a visit to the Central Statistics Office in Swords. PHOTO: ORLA MURRAY/ARK PHOTOGRAPHY
If you live Fingal, you’re not alone. In fact, there are nearly 300,000 of us residing in this beautiful county of ours. The preliminary results from the 2016 Census, show that Fingal has a population of 296,214, an increase of 22,223 since 2011. Fingal is Ireland’s fastest growing county with a 94 per cent growth in the population in 25 years. The county has seen its population grow by 8.1 per cent in the last five years. It has almost doubled in the past 25 years, rising from 152,766 in 1991 to 296,214 in 2016. The population is made up of 145,209 males and 151,005 females. Fingal is the second largest of the four Dublin Local Authorities and Fingal County Council has the third biggest local authority catchment area in the country. Fingal also contains four of the fastest growing electoral divisions in the State (BlanchardstownBlakestown, The Ward, Balbriggan Rural and Blanchardstown-Abbotstown) with growth rates of up to 27.4 per cent. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) report also shows that Fingal has the second lowest vacancy rate in the State, with a 19 per cent reduction in the number of vacant dwellings since 2011. Chief cxecutive of Fingal County Council Paul 14 LUSK LOCAL-AUGUST
Reid said the figures present both a challenge and an opportunity to Fingal. “Fingal County Council has been planning on the basis of similar population projections and we are currently in the middle of the review of our County Development Plan 2017-2023 which will provide a framework for the development of the county and its population in the medium-term. “However, what the census figures do indicate is the need for sustained investment in our public services, such as transport, schools and other infrastructure to support a significant and rapid increase in our population.” Mr Reid said Fingal County Council is actively supporting economic development in the county. “There are three elements to our approach,” he said. “We support the county’s SMEs through our Local Enterprise Office. We’re working to support our indigenous companies, such as in the agri-food sector and we work with others to attract multi-national industries to the county. “With its young, well-educated and expanding population, Fingal has the potential to increase its share of such investment and to be further seen as an attractive location for business to invest.”
Mr Reid added: “We very much see the figures as a positive for the long-term economic wellbeing of the county.” Mayor of Fingal Cllr Darragh Butler said the increased population figures demonstrate the attractiveness of Fingal on many different levels and as a council. “We will be doing everything we can to ensure that it continues to be the best place to live, to raise a family, to work in, to do business in and to visit,” he said. “We will also be working to ensure the delivery of major infrastructure projects such as Metro North in order to cater for the needs of our growing population.” Fingal County Council will be further analysing the preliminary data from the CSO and its potential implications for future Council policies. It will also be working with all public service providers to ensure that the county’s infrastructure and provision of essential services meets the needs of such a population. Fingal has one of the youngest and most diverse populations in the State. There is a great mix of rural and urban communities, with 53 per cent of the county zoned for agricultural use. Contact us: communitylocals@gmail.com