I think we all understand the need of housing, but Dublin snd especially the wider area of Adamstown have seen a huge change due to development for the past 5-10 years. 5 years ago we would walk off along the grand canal, which was then surrounded by wilderness. Now this stretch along the canal has widely been built up snd wide parts of the original Adamstown development plans have been realized.
It is obvious that there has been and still is huge pressure on Co Dublin and especially our area to allow for extra housing. There seems to be no sustainable national development plan in place supporting decentralisation out of Dublin to spread out living, commercial and business spaces. Instead, more housing is pushed into an already over-developed area, putting strains on facilities, services and infrastructure.
I am commuting to Dublin for work 3 day a week and while I should consider myself lucky to be able to use the train and not commute by car, I can see the pressure the infrastructure is already under at the moment. Trains are over-crowded at peak times, the development of the dart has been pushed off the plans and Irish rail cannot provide for the extra demand in a timely manner. Busses in the area run every 30 minutes. Parking is limited and already it is obvious that people are using so called green infrastructure like cycling lanes or footpaths to park their cars as they cannot find parking elsewhere. The Newcastle Road leading along Adamstown is still the only option for many residents and many commuters in Grange Castle Business Park to move around and out of the area and the limited public transport is not a workable solution for many people in the area, be it for commuting, work or leisure.
The traffic is a nightmare at peak times, adding commuter traffic from Grange Castle Business Park and further developments along the road would put even more pressure on the roads. I am yet to see sustainable, feasible and actually workable solutions to address the problem of traffic congestion in the area and there seems to be no intention of turning public transport into a more attractive alternative for residents. There is not even a public a public service to Dublin Airport
Housing is needed, but I believe this should be less centralised with more emphasis on other population centres in the country, which are in many cases, in decline. Adding more housing to an already over developed and pressured area is an easy fast fix aiming for a quick win, but not a long term and feasible solution.