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5councillors
Town Hall & politics · Dublin City Council

No party comes near a majority on Dublin City Council: the largest holds 11 of 63

Dublin City Council runs Dolphins Barn: Ireland has one tier of local government, with no town council below it. The South West Inner City local electoral area elected 5 councillors in June 2024: Green Party 1, Labour Party 1, Social Democrats 1, Fianna Fáil 1 and Sinn Féin 1. No party holds a majority on Dublin City; Fine Gael has the most seats, 11 of 63, short of the 32 a majority needs. In the Dáil, Dublin South-Central has 4 members: Sinn Féin 2, Fianna Fáil 1 and Social Democrats 1.

Councillors
5
South West Inner City · Dublin City
Turnout, June 2024
35%
South West Inner City · Ireland 49%
TDs
4
Dublin South-Central
Turnout, November 2024
49%
Dublin South-Central · Ireland 60%
Budget per resident, 2026
€2,845
day-to-day services; all councils €1,551
What stands out · In brief

Dolphins Barn’s council and votes, in 4 figures

No majority on Dublin City

Fine Gael won the most seats on Dublin City Council in June 2024, 11 of 63, short of the 32 a majority needs; it ran 16 candidates. No party holds a majority on any of the 31 councils, so each council’s business is carried by votes across parties. Who’s in charge ↓

A large budget for its size

Dublin City Council’s 2026 revenue budget comes to €2,845 for each resident, against €1,551 across all 31 councils, leaving out the HAP programme. Council money ↓

Low turnout

8,499 of South West Inner City’s 24,193 registered voters turned out in June 2024, 35%: the 5th-lowest of 166 local electoral areas (all of them: 49%). How Dolphins Barn voted ↓

A crowded ballot

16 candidates stood for 5 seats in South West Inner City in June 2024, the 5th-most contested ballot of 166 by candidates per seat. Local elections ↓

Written from the data on this page: the 2024 count sheets of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Oireachtas members list.

Who’s in charge

No party holds a majority on Dublin City Council

Seats on Dublin City Council as elected in June 2024, with each party’s candidates, and the other councils beside it.

Council · 63 councillorsDublin City CouncilNo majority
Fine GaelFine GaelFine GaelFine GaelFine GaelFine GaelFine GaelFine GaelFine GaelFine GaelFine GaelSocial DemocratsSocial DemocratsSocial DemocratsSocial DemocratsSocial DemocratsSocial DemocratsSocial DemocratsSocial DemocratsSocial DemocratsSocial DemocratsIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentSinn FéinSinn FéinSinn FéinSinn FéinSinn FéinSinn FéinSinn FéinSinn FéinSinn FéinFianna FáilFianna FáilFianna FáilFianna FáilFianna FáilFianna FáilFianna FáilFianna FáilGreen PartyGreen PartyGreen PartyGreen PartyGreen PartyGreen PartyGreen PartyGreen PartyLabour PartyLabour PartyLabour PartyLabour PartyPeople Before Profit–SolidarityPeople Before Profit–SolidarityRight to ChangeIndependent Ireland63seats
  • Fine Gael1116 stood
  • Social Democrats1013 stood
  • Independent940 stood
  • Sinn Féin930 stood
  • Fianna Fáil819 stood
  • Green Party811 stood
  • Labour Party413 stood
  • People Before Profit–Solidarity211 stood
  • Right to Change12 stood
  • Independent Ireland12 stood

As elected on 7 June 2024.

A party needs 32 of the 63 seats to outvote the rest. None has that: Fine Gael is largest with 11. None of the 31 councils has a single-party majority. Social Democrats is second with 10 seats. The councillors elect a cathaoirleach each June to chair the council for a year; no open national list names them.

The 31 councils of Ireland

Seats by party as elected, largest party named; this council first.

Dublin City
Fine Gael 11 of 63
Carlow County
Fine Gael 6 of 18
Cavan County
Fine Gael 6 of 18
Clare County
Fianna Fáil 14 of 28
Cork City
Fianna Fáil 9 of 31
Cork County
Fianna Fáil 19 of 55
Donegal County
Fianna Fáil 10 of 37
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County
Fine Gael 16 of 40
Fingal County
Independent 7 of 40
Galway City
Independent 4 of 18
Galway County
Fine Gael 13 of 39
Kerry County
Independent 11 of 33
Kildare County
Fianna Fáil 12 of 40
Kilkenny County
Fianna Fáil 11 of 24
Laois County
Fianna Fáil 6 of 19
Leitrim County
Fianna Fáil 6 of 18
Limerick City and County
Fine Gael 13 of 40
Longford County
Fine Gael 8 of 18
Louth County
Sinn Féin 7 of 29
Mayo County
Fine Gael 10 of 30
Meath County
Independent 11 of 40
Monaghan County
Sinn Féin 8 of 18
Offaly County
Fianna Fáil 8 of 19
Roscommon County
Independent 7 of 18
Sligo County
Fianna Fáil 6 of 18
South Dublin County
Independent 10 of 40
Tipperary County
Independent 14 of 40
Waterford City and County
Independent 8 of 32
Westmeath County
Fianna Fáil 9 of 20
Wexford County
Independent 11 of 34
Wicklow County
Independent 10 of 32
Fine GaelSocial DemocratsSinn FéinFianna FáilGreen PartyLabour PartyPeople Before Profit–SolidarityIndependent IrelandAontúIndependentOther parties

Local and general election results 2024: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (CC BY-SA 4.0); areas matched to towns by TownRatings from Tailte Éireann boundaries and CSO Census 2022 Small Areas (CC BY 4.0).

Who runs Dolphins Barn

One council, and the government for the rest

Dolphins Barn has no town or county council of its own: Ireland has 31 councils, each the only council for its area.

Dublin City Council

Housing and homelessness, planning, local and regional roads, parks and libraries, the fire service, bins enforcement and street cleaning, the register of electors, and the Local Property Tax rate it may vary.

dublincity.ie ↗
The Government and its departments

Schools (Department of Education), health (the HSE), national roads (TII), policing (An Garda Síochána) and the Local Property Tax itself (Revenue).

gov.ie ↗
Other public bodies

Uisce Éireann runs water and sewers; private operators collect most bins under the council’s rules.

Who to ask

Bins and recyclingYour waste collector (the council enforces)
Planning applicationsDublin City Council
Council housing and homelessnessDublin City Council
Potholes, roads and streetlightsDublin City Council
Parks and leisure centresDublin City Council
LibrariesDublin City Council
Fire safety visitsDublin City Council
Water, sewers and leaksUisce Éireann
Schools and school placesDepartment of Education
Hospitals, GPs and careHSE
Police priorities and budgetAn Garda Síochána
Local Property TaxRevenue
Motorways and national roadsTransport Infrastructure Ireland
The register of electorsDublin City Council

Green: the council. Gold: a government department or one of its agencies. Grey: another public body.

Who represents Dolphins Barn

From the council to the Dáil

Every elected tier that speaks for Dolphins Barn, from the most recent elections.

  1. 1
    The South West Inner City local electoral areaSouth West Inner City · 5 members
    Michael PidgeonDarragh MoriartyJen CumminsAmmar AliMáire Devine
  2. 2
    Dublin City Council63 councillors from 11 local electoral areas
    Fine Gael 11 · Social Democrats 10 · Independent 9 · Sinn Féin 9 · Fianna Fáil 8 · Green Party 8 · Labour Party 4 · People Before Profit–Solidarity 2 · Right to Change 1 · Independent Ireland 1
  3. 3
    Dáil ÉireannDublin South-Central · 4 members

Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. TDs: Houses of the Oireachtas Open Data (Oireachtas PSI Licence, CC BY 4.0).

Councillors

5 councillors represent South West Inner City

Each of the local electoral areas where 5% or more of the town’s residents live: who was elected, and who else stood.

South West Inner City
100% of Dolphins Barn · 5 seats · 16 candidates · 41% of the area’s people live in Dolphins Barn
  • Michael Pidgeon
  • Darragh Moriarty
  • Jen Cummins
  • Ammar Ali
  • Máire Devine

Also stood (11): Damien Farrell (Independent), Kelsey May Daly (People Before Profit–Solidarity), Ian Nunoo (Fine Gael), Aisling Considine (Aontú), David Augusta (Sinn Féin), Catherine McSweeney (Independent), Gina Aherne (The Irish People), Darragh Reid (Sinn Féin), Michael O'Flanagan (Independent), Zoe Obeimhen (Independent), Pat Coyne (Independent).

Dolphins Barn’s councillors, one by one

CouncillorPartyAreaFirst preferencesResultReturning or new
Michael PidgeonGreen PartySouth West Inner City1,594Elected at count 1, on the quotaRe-elected
Darragh MoriartyLabour PartySouth West Inner City1,017Elected at count 11, on the quotaRe-elected
Jen CumminsSocial DemocratsSouth West Inner City903Elected at count 12, on the quotaNew
Ammar AliFianna FáilSouth West Inner City860Elected at the last count, below the quotaNew
Máire DevineSinn FéinSouth West Inner City457Elected at the last count, below the quotaRe-elected

3 of the 5 were sitting councillors who were re-elected; 2 weren’t on the council before the election.

Seats by party in each of Dublin City Council’s 11 local electoral areas

South West Inner City
5 seats · 35% turnout
Artane-Whitehall
6 seats · 43% turnout
Ballyfermot-Drimnagh
5 seats · 40% turnout
Ballymun-Finglas
6 seats · 42% turnout
Cabra-Glasnevin
7 seats · 44% turnout
Clontarf
6 seats · 48% turnout
Donaghmede
5 seats · 45% turnout
Kimmage-Rathmines
6 seats · 40% turnout
North Inner City
7 seats · 34% turnout
Pembroke
5 seats · 37% turnout
South East Inner City
5 seats · 33% turnout
Every area of Dublin City Council: seats, candidates and turnout
AreaSeatsCandidatesElectorateTurnoutQuota
South West Inner City51624,19335.1%1,385
Artane-Whitehall61735,17842.5%2,076
Ballyfermot-Drimnagh51531,65039.6%2,048
Ballymun-Finglas61637,29641.8%2,178
Cabra-Glasnevin72139,56043.7%2,131
Clontarf61242,25347.9%2,858
Donaghmede51430,91245.1%2,277
Kimmage-Rathmines61542,74739.5%2,372
North Inner City71930,60934.1%1,280
Pembroke51031,92736.9%1,947
South East Inner City51722,53833%1,212

Each of the local electoral areas elects 3 to 7 councillors by single transferable vote: voters number the candidates in order, a candidate who reaches the quota is elected, and spare votes and those of the lowest candidate pass to the next preference. A councillor who leaves is replaced by co-option, usually from the same party, so the names can change without an election.

Fianna FáilFine GaelSinn FéinLabour PartySocial DemocratsGreen PartyPeople Before Profit–SolidarityIndependent IrelandAontúIndependentOther parties

Councillors: same source as Who’s in charge, above.

The council

Of the 63 councillors on Dublin City Council, women hold 25

Everyone elected to Dublin City Council across its 11 local electoral areas in June 2024, by party: how many are women and how many sat on the council before.

PartySeatsWomenRe-electedFirst preferences
Fine Gael114614.8%
Social Democrats10639.6%
Independent90616.1%
Sinn Féin95614%
Fianna Fáil82514.3%
Green Party8569.8%
Labour Party4237.9%
People Before Profit–Solidarity2115.4%
Independent Ireland1001.1%
Right to Change1011.8%

25 of the 63 councillors are women, 40%; across all 31 councils the share is 26%. 37 sat on the council before the election and 26 are new to it.

Every member of Dublin City Council
CouncillorPartyAreaReturning or new
John LyonsIndependentArtane-WhitehallRe-elected
Declan FlanaganFine GaelArtane-WhitehallRe-elected
Jesslyn HenrySocial DemocratsArtane-WhitehallNew
Racheal BattenFianna FáilArtane-WhitehallRe-elected
Aishling SilkeSocial DemocratsArtane-WhitehallNew
Edel MoranSinn FéinArtane-WhitehallNew
Daithí DoolanSinn FéinBallyfermot-DrimnaghRe-elected
Vincent JacksonIndependentBallyfermot-DrimnaghRe-elected
Hazel De NortuínPeople Before Profit–SolidarityBallyfermot-DrimnaghRe-elected
Ray CunninghamGreen PartyBallyfermot-DrimnaghNew
Philip SutcliffeIndependent IrelandBallyfermot-DrimnaghNew
Keith ConnollyFianna FáilBallymun-FinglasRe-elected
Anthony ConnaghanSinn FéinBallymun-FinglasRe-elected
Conor ReddyPeople Before Profit–SolidarityBallymun-FinglasNew
Mary CallaghanSocial DemocratsBallymun-FinglasRe-elected
Gavin PepperIndependentBallymun-FinglasNew
Leslie KaneSinn FéinBallymun-FinglasNew
Feljin JoseGreen PartyCabra-GlasnevinNew
Cieran PerryIndependentCabra-GlasnevinRe-elected
Colm O'RourkeFine GaelCabra-GlasnevinRe-elected
Gayle RalphFine GaelCabra-GlasnevinNew
Cat O'DriscollSocial DemocratsCabra-GlasnevinRe-elected
John StephensFianna FáilCabra-GlasnevinNew
Séamas McGrattanSinn FéinCabra-GlasnevinRe-elected
Naoise Ó MuiríFine GaelClontarfRe-elected
Deirdre HeneyFianna FáilClontarfRe-elected
Barry HeneghanIndependentClontarfNew
Catherine StockerSocial DemocratsClontarfRe-elected
Donna CooneyGreen PartyClontarfRe-elected
Alison FieldLabour PartyClontarfNew
Tom BrabazonFianna FáilDonaghmedeRe-elected
Daryl BarronFianna FáilDonaghmedeRe-elected
Paddy MonahanSocial DemocratsDonaghmedeNew
Supriya SinghFine GaelDonaghmedeNew
Mícheál Mac DonnchaSinn FéinDonaghmedeRe-elected
Carolyn MooreGreen PartyKimmage-RathminesRe-elected
Punam RaneFine GaelKimmage-RathminesNew
Fiona ConnellyLabour PartyKimmage-RathminesRe-elected
Pat DunneRight to ChangeKimmage-RathminesRe-elected
Eoin HayesSocial DemocratsKimmage-RathminesNew
Patrick KinsellaFine GaelKimmage-RathminesNew
Ray McAdamFine GaelNorth Inner CityRe-elected
Christy BurkeIndependentNorth Inner CityRe-elected
Janet HornerGreen PartyNorth Inner CityRe-elected
Malachy SteensonIndependentNorth Inner CityNew
Nial RingIndependentNorth Inner CityRe-elected
Janice BoylanSinn FéinNorth Inner CityRe-elected
Daniel EnnisSocial DemocratsNorth Inner CityNew
James GeogheganFine GaelPembrokeRe-elected
Hazel ChuGreen PartyPembrokeRe-elected
Dermot LaceyLabour PartyPembrokeRe-elected
Emma BlainFine GaelPembrokeNew
Rory HoganFianna FáilPembrokeNew
Claire ByrneGreen PartySouth East Inner CityRe-elected
Danny ByrneFine GaelSouth East Inner CityRe-elected
Cian FarrellSocial DemocratsSouth East Inner CityNew
Mannix FlynnIndependentSouth East Inner CityRe-elected
Kourtney KennySinn FéinSouth East Inner CityNew
Michael PidgeonGreen PartySouth West Inner CityRe-elected
Darragh MoriartyLabour PartySouth West Inner CityRe-elected
Jen CumminsSocial DemocratsSouth West Inner CityNew
Ammar AliFianna FáilSouth West Inner CityNew
Máire DevineSinn FéinSouth West Inner CityRe-elected

The council: same source as Who’s in charge, above.

How Dolphins Barn voted

First preferences in South West Inner City, June 2024

Each candidate’s first-preference votes; the tick is the quota of 1,385. Elected candidates are in bold.

Michael Pidgeon1,594
Darragh Moriarty1,017
Jen Cummins903
Ammar Ali860
Damien Farrell684
Kelsey May Daly591
Máire Devine457
Ian Nunoo412
Aisling Considine312
David Augusta306
Catherine McSweeney271
Gina Aherne239
Darragh Reid237
Michael O'Flanagan197
Zoe Obeimhen193
Pat Coyne34

First-preference share by party in South West Inner City

PartyShareIreland
Green Party19.2%3.6%
Independent16.6%20.9%
Labour Party12.2%5.3%
Sinn Féin12%11.8%
Social Democrats10.9%3.4%
Fianna Fáil10.4%22.9%
People Before Profit–Solidarity7.1%1.5%
Fine Gael5%23%
Aontú3.8%2.1%
The Irish People2.9%0.7%

The tick is the party’s share across all of Ireland.

Turnout was 35.1%, 8,499 of 24,193 registered voters: the 162nd-highest of 166 local electoral areas (all of them: 49.4%). With 8,307 valid votes and 5 seats the quota was 1,385; the count ran to 13 rounds. Michael Pidgeon (Green Party) reached the quota on first preferences alone, and transfers decided the other 4. Máire Devine (Sinn Féin), 7th on first preferences, won a seat on transfers, overtaking Damien Farrell (Independent), who was 5th. The last seat went to Máire Devine (Sinn Féin) with 1,210 votes at the final count, 106 ahead of Damien Farrell (Independent), who had 1,104.

Every candidate, count by count (13 counts)
CandidatePartyFirst preferencesResultVotes at the end
Ammar AliFianna Fáil860Elected at the last count, below the quota1,248
Máire DevineSinn Féin457Elected at the last count, below the quota1,210
Jen CumminsSocial Democrats903Elected at count 12, on the quota1,385
Darragh MoriartyLabour Party1,017Elected at count 11, on the quota1,441
Michael PidgeonGreen Party1,594Elected at count 1, on the quota1,385
Pat CoyneIndependent34Excluded at count 3–
Michael O'FlanaganIndependent197Excluded at count 4–
Zoe ObeimhenIndependent193Excluded at count 5–
Gina AherneThe Irish People239Excluded at count 6–
Darragh ReidSinn Féin237Excluded at count 7–
Catherine McSweeneyIndependent271Excluded at count 8–
David AugustaSinn Féin306Excluded at count 9–
Aisling ConsidineAontú312Excluded at count 10–
Ian NunooFine Gael412Excluded at count 11–
Kelsey May DalyPeople Before Profit–Solidarity591Excluded at count 12–
Damien FarrellIndependent684Not elected, standing at the last count1,104

How Dolphins Barn voted: same source as Who’s in charge, above.

Local elections

Who stood, and who was elected, June 2024

Every candidate for Dublin City Council, by party: the light bar is candidates, the solid bar those elected.

Fine Gael11 of 16
Social Democrats10 of 13
Independent9 of 40
Sinn Féin9 of 30
Fianna Fáil8 of 19
Green Party8 of 11
Labour Party4 of 13
People Before Profit–Solidarity2 of 11
Right to Change1 of 2
Independent Ireland1 of 2
Aontú0 of 6
The Irish People0 of 5
The National Party0 of 2
Irish Freedom Party0 of 1
The Workers' Party0 of 1

Share of candidates elected, all of Ireland

Fine Gael72%
Fianna Fáil68%
Labour Party51%
Social Democrats45%
Independent Ireland38%
Independent37%
Sinn Féin30%
People Before Profit–Solidarity25%
Green Party18%
Aontú12%
The National Party7%
Irish Freedom Party4%
The Irish People0%

Parties with 10 or more candidates across the 31 councils.

172 candidates stood for 63 seats on Dublin City Council in June 2024, 2.7 for each seat. Turnout across the council was 40.6%, the 31st-highest of 31 councils. Fine Gael elected 11 of its 16 candidates. 65 of the 172 candidates were women (38%; 31% across the country), and 40 stood without a party. Across all 31 councils, 2,172 candidates stood for 949 seats, 2.3 for each.

Turnout in all 31 councils
Leitrim County65%
Roscommon County60.3%
Kerry County59.4%
Mayo County59.2%
Longford County57.4%
Sligo County56.2%
Cavan County55.5%
Clare County55%
Tipperary County54.8%
Donegal County54.4%
Monaghan County54.1%
Wicklow County53.9%
Galway County53.1%
Laois County53.1%
Wexford County52%
Limerick City and County51.9%
Cork County51.4%
Kilkenny County51.4%
Offaly County50.9%
Westmeath County50.4%
Waterford City and County50%
Louth County48.8%
Meath County48%
Carlow County47.5%
Kildare County45.5%
Galway City44.8%
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County44.2%
Cork City43.7%
Fingal County41.8%
South Dublin County41.3%
Dublin City40.6%

Local elections: same source as Who’s in charge, above.

Dáil Éireann

Dolphins Barn is in Dublin South-Central

4 TDs elected to the Dáil by single transferable vote on 29 November 2024, the whole constituency’s count.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Sinn Féin

oireachtas.ie ↗
Catherine Ardagh

Fianna Fáil · Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration

oireachtas.ie ↗
Jen Cummins

Social Democrats

oireachtas.ie ↗
Máire Devine

Sinn Féin

oireachtas.ie ↗

TDs as the Oireachtas lists them today, with any office they hold; a by-election or a change of party shows here, the 2024 count below does not change.

First preferences in Dublin South-Central, November 2024

Aengus Ó Snodaigh4,497
Catherine Ardagh3,988
Máire Devine3,854
Jen Cummins3,347
Hazel De Nortúin3,331
Daithí Doolan3,290
Mary Seery Kearney3,056
Joan Collins2,907
Darragh Moriarty2,476
Patrick Costello2,267
Aisling Considine1,474
Barry Ward751
Philip Sutcliffe686
Dolores Webster549
Jina Ahearne321
Richard Murray264
Rebecca Hendrick172
John Paul Murphy114

Each party’s share of first preferences in Dublin South-Central

PartyShareIreland
Sinn Féin31.2%19%
Fianna Fáil10.7%21.9%
Social Democrats9%4.8%
People Before Profit–Solidarity8.9%2.8%
Fine Gael8.2%20.8%
Right to Change7.8%0.1%
Labour Party6.6%4.7%
Green Party6.1%3%
Aontú3.9%3.9%
Independent Ireland2.3%3.6%
Independent2.2%13.2%
Irish Freedom Party2%0.7%
The Irish People0.9%0.3%
Rabharta0.3%0%

Turnout was 49.1%, 37,819 of 77,072 registered voters: the 42nd-highest of 43 Dáil constituencies (all of them: 59.7%). The quota was 7,469: 37,344 valid votes for 4 seats, counted over 15 rounds. Nobody reached the quota on first preferences, so every seat was filled on transfers. Máire Devine (Sinn Féin) took the last seat with 6,509 votes at the final count, 394 more than Hazel De Nortúin (People Before Profit–Solidarity), on 6,115.

Every candidate, count by count (15 counts)
CandidatePartyFirst preferencesResultVotes at the end
Jen CumminsSocial Democrats3,347Elected at the last count, below the quota7,404
Aengus Ó SnodaighSinn Féin4,497Elected at the last count, below the quota7,137
Máire DevineSinn Féin3,854Elected at the last count, below the quota6,509
Catherine ArdaghFianna Fáil3,988Elected at count 14, on the quota7,469
John Paul MurphyRabharta114Excluded at count 2–
Rebecca HendrickIndependent Ireland172Excluded at count 3–
Richard MurrayIndependent264Excluded at count 4–
Jina AhearneThe Irish People321Excluded at count 5–
Dolores WebsterIndependent549Excluded at count 6–
Philip SutcliffeIndependent Ireland686Excluded at count 7–
Barry WardIrish Freedom Party751Excluded at count 8–
Aisling ConsidineAontú1,474Excluded at count 9–
Patrick CostelloGreen Party2,267Excluded at count 10–
Mary Seery KearneyFine Gael3,056Excluded at count 11–
Daithí DoolanSinn Féin3,290Excluded at count 12–
Joan CollinsRight to Change2,907Excluded at count 13–
Darragh MoriartyLabour Party2,476Excluded at count 14–
Hazel De NortúinPeople Before Profit–Solidarity3,331Not elected, standing at the last count6,115

Dáil Éireann: same source as Who’s in charge, above.

Council money

Dublin City Council plans to spend €2,845 per resident in 2026

What its 2026 revenue budget pays for, service by service, and where the money comes from.

Revenue budget, 2026
€1,697M
day-to-day services
Commercial rates
€430.3M
to be levied on businesses, 2026
Local Property Tax
€62.3M
the council’s share, 2026
Government grants
€734.1M
grants and subsidies, 2026

By service, per resident, 2026

Housing and building€1,454
Environment and fire€516
Roads and transport€274
Libraries, parks and amenities€246
Planning and development€186
Water services€90
Other services€89
Agriculture, education, health and welfare€7

What pays for it, 2026

SourceDublin CityAll councils
Government grants and subsidies44%47%
Commercial rates26%23%
Charges for goods and services21%20%
Other councils’ contributions6%2%
Local Property Tax4%7%

Shares of what funds the 2026 budget; the tick is all 31 councils together.

Leaving out the HAP programme, that is the 1st-highest of the 31 councils per resident; across all of them it is €1,551. The budget is up 14% on 2025, when it was €1,485.4M.

Commercial rates on businesses pay for 26% of the budget. Its annual rate on valuation is 0.2890, the 1st-highest of the 31 councils that rate on revalued property. The Local Property Tax brings in another 4%.

Budget per resident, all 31 councils (without the HAP programme)
Dublin City€2,845
Galway City€1,903
Leitrim County€1,820
Longford County€1,702
Tipperary County€1,626
Waterford City and County€1,624
Cork City€1,614
Clare County€1,593
Mayo County€1,590
Kerry County€1,585
Monaghan County€1,490
Cork County€1,459
Louth County€1,453
Laois County€1,441
Limerick City and County€1,437
South Dublin County€1,401
Cavan County€1,366
Westmeath County€1,343
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County€1,338
Carlow County€1,337
Donegal County€1,327
Fingal County€1,309
Kilkenny County€1,240
Offaly County€1,222
Roscommon County€1,219
Wicklow County€1,177
Sligo County€1,173
Meath County€1,170
Kildare County€1,147
Wexford County€1,118
Galway County€1,045
Show the services as a table, 2025 and 2026
Service2026Per resident2025Change
Housing and building€862.1M€1,454€738M17%
Roads and transport€162.4M€274€143.4M13%
Water services€53.5M€90€60.3M-11%
Planning and development€110.2M€186€73.5M50%
Environment and fire€305.8M€516€276.9M10%
Libraries, parks and amenities€146M€246€139.6M5%
Agriculture, education, health and welfare€4.4M€7€4.6M-4%
Other services€52.6M€89€49M7%

Budgets: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Local Authority Annual Budgets 2025 and 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), revenue account before inter-authority contributions are netted; residents: CSO Census 2022 (CC BY 4.0).

Council size

Each of Dublin City Council’s 63 councillors speaks for about 9,410 residents

Residents per councillor on each of the 31 councils.

Dublin City Council has 63 councillors for 592,713 residents: about 9,410 each, the 1st-highest of 31 councils. The range runs from 9,410 residents per councillor on Dublin City to 1,960 on Leitrim County.

Residents per councillor, all 31 councils
Dublin City9,410
Fingal County8,260
South Dublin County7,530
Cork City7,230
Cork County6,550
Kildare County6,190
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County5,850
Meath County5,520
Limerick City and County5,240
Galway County4,960
Wicklow County4,870
Laois County4,840
Wexford County4,820
Louth County4,820
Westmeath County4,810
Kerry County4,740
Galway City4,690
Mayo County4,600
Clare County4,570
Cavan County4,540
Donegal County4,520
Offaly County4,380
Kilkenny County4,340
Tipperary County4,200
Waterford City and County3,980
Roscommon County3,900
Sligo County3,900
Monaghan County3,630
Carlow County3,440
Longford County2,600
Leitrim County1,960

Seats: local elections 2024 (Department of Housing, CC BY-SA 4.0); residents: CSO Census 2022 (CC BY 4.0).

Get involved

Having a say in how Dolphins Barn is run

Check you’re registered to vote

Check, register or update your address online; the register closes 15 days before a poll (Sundays and holidays aside).

checktheregister.ie ↗
Report a problem on your street

Potholes, broken lights, dumping and graffiti, sent to the council.

FixYourStreet.ie ↗
Watch a council meeting

Council and municipal district meetings are open to the public, with agendas and minutes online.

dublincity.ie ↗
Comment on a planning application

Anyone may make a submission within five weeks of an application, for a fee of €20.

dublincity.ie ↗
Contact your TDs

Each TD’s contact details are on the Oireachtas members page.

oireachtas.ie ↗
Stand for election

The Electoral Commission’s guidance for candidates and how to be nominated.

electoralcommission.ie ↗
How to read these numbers

What this data can and can’t tell you

  • Single transferable vote. Voters number candidates in order. The quota is the valid votes divided by one more than the seats, plus one. A candidate over the quota is elected and their surplus passes on; when nobody is over it, the lowest is excluded and their votes pass on, until the seats are filled. The last seats can go to candidates below the quota once too few are left to fill them. First preferences show where support started, not who won.
  • Which area. A town is placed in its council, local electoral area and Dáil constituency by where its residents live (Census 2022 Small Areas); an area holding 5% or more of them is listed too. Areas reach beyond the town, so their results are the whole area’s.
  • Turnout. Votes cast, spoilt ones included, as a share of the register. Registers carry people who have moved or died, so every turnout reads low by a few points; compare areas, not the figure on its own.
  • A close last seat. Shown only when the last candidate elected and the one left standing were both in the final count; the gap is between their votes then. Margins are not shown as headlines unless they are among the closest.
  • Not on this page. Audited accounts and debt are published only as PDF statements, so they aren’t on this page. Votes before 2024 aren’t compared: the local electoral areas were redrawn for the 2024 local elections and the Dáil constituencies in 2023, so earlier results don’t cover the same ground. Who chairs each council and who runs it as chief executive aren’t in any open national list; each council names them on its website.

Questions about how Dolphins Barn is run

Which council runs Dolphins Barn?

Dolphins Barn is run by Dublin City Council, its only council: Ireland has one tier of local government.

How many councillors does Dolphins Barn have?

The South West Inner City local electoral area elects 5 councillors: Michael Pidgeon (Green Party), Darragh Moriarty (Labour Party), Jen Cummins (Social Democrats), Ammar Ali (Fianna Fáil), Máire Devine (Sinn Féin).

Which party has the most seats on Dublin City Council?

No party has a majority. As elected, Fine Gael 11 · Social Democrats 10 · Independent 9 · Sinn Féin 9 · Fianna Fáil 8 · Green Party 8 · Labour Party 4 · People Before Profit–Solidarity 2 · Right to Change 1 · Independent Ireland 1 of 63 seats; a majority needs 32.

Who are Dolphins Barn’s TDs?

Dublin South-Central elects 4 TDs: Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Sinn Féin), Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fáil), Jen Cummins (Social Democrats) and Máire Devine (Sinn Féin).

What was the turnout in Dolphins Barn?

In South West Inner City, 35.1% of registered voters turned out in June 2024 (Ireland: 49.4%). In Dublin South-Central, 49.1% in November 2024 (59.7%).

When are the next elections in Dolphins Barn?

Local elections are held every five years, so the next are due in 2029, in May or June. A general election must be held within five years of the last one (November 2024), sooner if the Dáil is dissolved.

What does Dublin City spend?

Dublin City Council plans to spend €1,697M on day-to-day services in 2026, the most of it on housing and building.

Sources: Local and general election results 2024: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (CC BY-SA 4.0); areas matched to towns by TownRatings from Tailte Éireann boundaries and CSO Census 2022 Small Areas (CC BY 4.0). · TDs: Houses of the Oireachtas Open Data (Oireachtas PSI Licence, CC BY 4.0). · Boundaries: Tailte Éireann (CC BY 4.0); population: CSO Census 2022 (CC BY 4.0).. Under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).

Contains Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, Census 2022, and Tailte Éireann boundaries (CSO Urban Areas, Small Areas, local electoral areas, constituencies), under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).