Skip to main content

Overview
Map
Transcript
Agenda
18. Motion on Horse Welfare & Animal Welfare Unit
19. Emergency Motion – Halloween Violence
1. Lord Mayor's Business
2. Standing Order Questions
3. Correspondence from Local Authorities
4. Confirmation of Meeting Minutes
5. Committee Vacancies and Nominations
6. 10-Unit Housing at Finglas
6. 123-Unit Housing at Donore Avenue
6. 84-Unit Housing at Darndale Spine Site
6. Cherry Orchard Park Regeneration
7. Grafton Street Planning Control Scheme
8. Right of Way Extinguishment Ballymun
9. Fee Simple Disposal – Baldoyle
9. Fee Simple Disposal – Ground Rents
10. Lease of Former Crèche Clonsilla
10. Merrion Square Tea Rooms Lease
11. Housing Supply Monthly Update
12. Audit Committee – 2025 Financial Statement
13. Monthly Local Fund Statement
14. Monthly Management Report
15. Area Committee Minutes – September
16. Planning SPC Minutes – June
17. Protocol Committee Minutes – September
18. Motions on Notice
19. Emergency Motions

Meeting 02/11/2026

Notifications MCP

Subjects

00:00:00/ —

Administration

Emergency Motions

Agenda #19November 2, 20266 speakers · 11 minutes

11′

minutes

Social Democrats3′

Sinn Féin1′

Green Party1′

Fine Gael1′

Summary

AI-generated text

Any emergency motions submitted by elected members will be considered. These are urgent matters brought forward outside the normal notice period. During this section, emergency motion three (relating to opening Cabra) was formally agreed without debate, and emergency motions five and six on Halloween violence were taken for discussion, while Cllr. Pepper's motion was deferred to the next month for lack of speaking time and Cllr. Breen queried why his Trinity Sports and Leisure Club motion had not been accepted.

Under Dublin City Council's Standing Orders, an emergency motion deals with a serious and unexpected matter that needs the Council's immediate action. Emergency motions must reach the Chief Executive's Secretariat and the Lord Mayor by 11.00am on the day of the monthly meeting. The Lord Mayor then decides whether each one goes before the Council. They may be agreed without debate with the consent of Council. Motions can be ruled out of order. At the November 2025 meeting, for example, one was ruled out because it did not require the immediate action of Council. That is the usual reason a member's motion is not accepted.

The Halloween motions follow a particularly bad night. Dublin Fire Brigade received 585 calls, 470 of them directly related to Halloween. It was the brigade's busiest 31 October in 15 years, and calls reporting fires rose 50 per cent on last year. In Cherry Orchard, footage showed cars being driven dangerously and fireworks set off in front of crowds. Gardaí were reportedly told not to enter one estate because of fears that stolen cars would be used to knock them down. The disorder came days after the council announced that Cherry Orchard's annual fireworks display had been cancelled. Local councillor Daithí Doolan has linked that cancellation, and a public-sector work-to-rule, to the disorder.

Separately, the Council has backed a proposal for a dedicated Halloween safety taskforce. It would work with An Garda Síochána, councillors, council officials, community organisations and youth services on a coordinated strategy ahead of Halloween 2027. This matters because the damage will cost public money, and residents of the worst-affected areas want to know what will be done before next year.

Statements(8)

AI-generated text

JH

Jesslyn HenrySocial Democrats

Dublin Fire Brigade reported its busiest Halloween night in 15 years, with almost 470 fire calls directly Halloween-related. Across Dublin, there were cars set alight, dangerous driving, fireworks exploding in streets, people hurt by fireworks aimed at them, and a local football club lost thousands of euro worth of equipment from an arson attack. These are serious cases of criminality, not harmless celebrations, and the human, environmental, and financial consequences are massive. The council must change its approach — examine what happened, identify recurring problem locations, improve early intervention, strengthen enforcement, and start now, with 12 months to prepare. This is about ensuring people can enjoy Halloween without residents living in fear, emergency services being overwhelmed, or community facilities being destroyed.

DD

Daithí DoolanSinn Féin

The violence on Halloween night in Cherry Orchard was deeply disturbing and does not reflect the vast majority of hardworking residents. The main Halloween event was cancelled due to Garda industrial action, and this event has been a major contributing factor to maintaining a peaceful Halloween night in recent years. Residents who came out on Sunday morning with brushes and brooms to clean up and Dublin City Council staff deserve thanks. Looking forward to working with Dublin City Council to organise a family-friendly celebration event in Cherry Orchard, and it is only by working together with local services, the council, and the Gardaí that these scenes can be prevented from recurring.

VJ

Vincent Jackson

What happened in Cherry Orchard was a derogation of any responsibility of the state to provide safety for the community. Not one single member of An Garda Síochána was seen at any community events across Ballyfermot and Cherry Orchard, and the Garda Commissioner should be asked to come out to explain. If there was an issue with Garda terms and conditions, why didn't they withdraw the security detail to the EU conference instead of abandoning vulnerable communities? The local authority must also accept responsibility: there are no community development staff on the ground, and the Cherry Blossoms project must be resurrected as a matter of urgency. The council should redouble its effort to invest in open spaces in Cherry Orchard, because in the absence of support, a more sinister element takes over. Other council-supported fireworks displays went ahead elsewhere in the city, raising unanswered questions about why Cherry Orchard's event was singled out for cancellation.

CO

Colm O'RourkeFine Gael

On behalf of the Fine Gael group, a huge amount of effort is put in for many months before Halloween by the council, and events like the Boo event demonstrate the work being done. This should be a learning curve, and the council needs clarity from the Gardaí rather than speculation. The Lord Mayor should write to An Garda Síochána to find clarity on the issues, and from there decide what the council should do.

KS

Karl StanleySocial Democrats

The motion is supported, and the council should learn from what goes well and what didn't go well. There is an interesting contrast between the relatively good outcome in the north inner city versus the issues in Cherry Orchard and Darndale, and it was a miracle that nobody was badly hurt. A multi-agency approach is required involving the council, Gardaí, fire brigade, civil society, and government, because just waiting for Halloween and praying it rains is not a sustainable way to keep the city safe. Halloween should be fun for everyone, but what happened was dangerous, and there is a responsibility to keep the public safe.

Unknown Speaker 60

The community events are vital for preventing antisocial behaviour and must go ahead. Current programmes are aimed at younger children, but alternatives must also be provided for teenagers who may become involved in antisocial behaviour. Planning must be done earlier in the year with all necessary agencies involved, because all the work and effort put in will go to nothing if decisions are made at the last minute. Better planning and learning from this experience are essential.

RC

Ray CunninghamGreen Party-Comhaontas Glas

Many wonderful events were put on by the council and local organisations, and simple things like trick or treating bring communities together. However, while attending a Park Run in Brickfields Park, a gang of kids could be seen pulling a bin from a front garden and setting it on fire at half nine on a Saturday morning. There is a very destructive side to Halloween — paths and green spaces all over the city have been damaged by fires and will take months to recover. The council, Gardaí, and emergency services should work together to minimise the damage and maximise the celebrations.

Unknown Speaker 61

The Halloween incidents are deeply concerning, and no community should have to tolerate intimidation, vandalism, or the destruction of public property. The actions of a minority should not overshadow the tremendous work of community organisations, youth services, and volunteers. Regarding the proposed task force, there is support for the principle but caution about establishing another committee without first examining existing resources, particularly the local community safety partnerships that already bring together the Gardaí, local authorities, and community stakeholders. What matters is not the number of committees but whether tangible improvements in community safety can be delivered. Both motions are supported on that basis.

The discussion

11′

minutes

Social Democrats3′

Sinn Féin1′

Green Party1′

Fine Gael1′

6 speakers · 4 parties

Decision

No decision from Diavgeia has been linked to this subject yet.