The controversial Dublin Mountain Visitors Centre at the Hellfire heritage site has been granted approval by An Bord Pleanála.

There has been widespread opposition to the scale of the project both by residents and environmental campaigners. Gino Kenny TD (People Before Profit) opposed the proposal and made a presentation at the oral hearing in 2019.

Deputy Kenny commented: “I’m very disappointed to see that An Bord Pleanála has approved the project. I’m concerned about the impact the project will have on biodiversity in the area, and the scale of the development. Many agree that this location in the Dublin mountains needs more facilities such as public toilets and more car park facilities. The project from the outset is the excess of over development and over tourism which is not needed in this location. A fraction of the money that is envisaged to be spent on the centre would be better spent on upgrading the present facilities and encouraging visitors to use the wider Dublin and Wicklow mountains”