Greystones Called Upon For Yet More Lucrative Housing

You don’t know what you got…

atest press release from Councillor Lourda Scott, issued on Tuesday, March 31st 2026…

Green Party Councillor Lourda Scott has expressed strong frustration with the approach of Government to housing and infrastructure delivery, warning that communities in Wicklow are being asked to take on more development without the necessary supports, while the heart of the housing crisis is not being addressed.

Cllr Scott said that the Greystones District has already made a significant contribution to housing delivery and continues to support the need for new homes.

“I want to be very clear. I support housing and my area supports housing. Greystones is one of the fastest growing districts in the country and we have taken on a disproportionate level of development in recent years, delivering four times the number of homes compared to other parts of Wicklow.”

She noted that the area is already granting permission for high density housing and has recently completed its Local Area Plan, where additional land was zoned for housing delivery.

“Despite this, the Minister has directed us to remove one of the few tools we have to manage where development occurs. This variation to the County Development Plan, voted through the Council at Monday’s special meeting, eliminates the RN2 zoning designation and increases the population targets for Greystones. This means we will have additional pressure on already stretched infrastructure and services, with only vague assurances from the Government that this will be addressed.”

Cllr Scott said that infrastructure deficits are already critical concerns, especially school provision for local families.

“The pressure on schools and trying to get a secondary school place has been going on for years in the Greystones District. Our secondary schools are at max capacity, children are being taught in prefabs, and there are waiting lists for primary schools. Close to us there is no secondary school sanctioned for Newtown and Educate Together Secondary school in Bray is still without a permanent building. It’s absolutely shocking that these issues haven’t been dealt with and are stressing families and children every year,” she said.

She pointed out that in its submission to the variation on the Count y Development plan; the Department of Education has itself acknowledged that increased housing will place significant additional demand on school places.

“Supporting further accelerated development without a clear plan for school provision will only make this situation worse. The Department of Education is not keeping up with the demand for school places as it is and no one from Government is calling them to task over this. With the recent reports of the massive overspend by the Department, there is no doubt in my mind that this will get worse,” she said.

Cllr Scott also challenged the Government’s framing of the housing crisis.

“I do not accept that the housing crisis is simply a zoning issue. In Wicklow, there are almost 3,000 homes with planning permission that have not yet been built. At the same time, we have vacant and derelict properties in towns and villages. Local authorities are not being equipped to build their own stock.

“If the Government truly believed that zoning more land was the solution, the housing crisis would have been resolved years ago. Instead we are tinkering around the edges, pushing the problem onto the Local Authorities and away from Central Government. The reality is until we focus on activating permissions, tackling vacancy, and bringing derelict properties back into use, we will continue to have a housing crisis.”

Cllr Scott concluded: “We need to build communities, not just houses. That means schools, transport and other services alongside homes.

“It is time for Government to step up and deliver a proper, costed plan for communities like ours that are already hugely stretched.”