Cllr Warren O'Toole

21/08/2026

☣️PUBLIC HEALTH WARNING ⚠️
ARKLOW HARBOUR

I want to make people aware of a serious issue at the slipway in Arklow Harbour this evening.

There is a significant amount of what appears to be human excrement across the slipway and immediately beside it , creating an obvious public-health hazard for anyone using the area, particularly children, dog walkers and people accessing the harbour.

Since being made aware of the situation, I have contacted every available relevant department and service I could reach and have continued to escalate the matter in an effort to have the area made safe and cleaned as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, at present I have been advised that the matter may not be dealt with until Monday. I have no suitable equipment to safely cordon the area off myself but in good conscience I cannot simply leave this without warning people.

Please avoid the affected section of the slipway and keep children and animals away from the area until it has been properly cleaned and made safe.

This post is to alert the public to the immediate health risk

21/08/2026

📢 Have Your Say – Current Wicklow County Council Public Consultations

Public consultations are an important opportunity to put your views, concerns and ideas on the record.

The best way to shape progress is by engaging, sharing views, raising concerns and suggesting improvements.

There are a number of consultations that relates to Arklow open through Wicklow County Council’s Online Consultation Hub:

- Wicklow Local Community Safety Partnership, Closing Date for Submissions, 5pm Monday, 31st August 2026

- Active Travel Scheme - Section 38 Road Traffic Act 1994 - Coolgreaney Road - Closing date for submissions is 5pm, 2nd September 2026

- Declaration of Public Roads 2026 - Section 11 Roads Act, 1993 - Closing Date 4th of September 2026

- PART XI / Part 8 - Notice of Proposed Enhancements of Seaview Avenue Recreational Area - Closing Date for Submissions is before 12 Noon on Thursday, 24th September

- Identification of Bathing Waters 2026, closing date 25th September 2026

To view the consultations and submit your observation, please visit https://buff.ly/hyDYJVD

If something matters to you, don’t assume somebody else will raise it. Have your say and help shape the future of our community.

12/08/2026

Friedreich’s Ataxia is a rare, progressive neurological disease that gradually affects movement, coordination and independence. Around 200 people in Ireland live with it. Skyclarys is the first approved treatment for the condition, yet the HSE Drugs Group has recommended that it should not be reimbursed.

That may be a small number on a Government spreadsheet but it is 200 people, 200 families and countless loved ones whose lives are affected too.

There is something deeply wrong when the rarity of an illness can seemingly become part of the reason people are left fighting for treatment.

There’s an old warning that people stayed silent while others were singled out, until eventually there was no one left to speak.

We cannot only stand up when an issue affects thousands or when it affects our own family.

Sometimes the smaller the group, the louder the rest of us need to be.

Today, 200 people living with Friedreich’s Ataxia are asking to be heard.

We should stand with them.

.

It is absolutely disgraceful. People deserve the care they need. 💔

Around 200 people in Ireland are living with Friedreich’s Ataxia—a progressive, debilitating rare neurological disease. Today, the HSE Drugs Group recommended that Skyclarys, the only approved treatment for this condition, should NOT be covered by the state. 😡

Think about that. The FIRST and ONLY treatment that offers hope to patients living with this disease is being denied over cost negotiations.

Patients and families have been protesting outside Leinster House for months, begging for a chance at a better quality of life. The Rare Diseases Technology Review Group supported bringing this drug to Ireland, and both the EMA and FDA have already approved it. Yet, patients here are once again being left behind by bureaucracy.

The decision now rests with the HSE senior management team on August 25th.

With Ireland’s EU Presidency prioritizing rare diseases, this decision is being watched by the world. We cannot stand by and let 200 members of our community be told their quality of life isn't worth the funding.

Health care is a right, not a luxury.

Please stand with Friedreich’s Ataxia campaigners. Let's make sure the HSE hears you before August 25th. Email your TDs, Email the HSE. 🎗️👇

Link in comments

Micheál Martin Simon Harris TD

HSE Ireland Roinn Sláinte, Department of Health

11/08/2026

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE SKY TOMORROW

Wednesday, 12 August , four celestial events unfolding from before dawn right through the night.

🪐 SIX-PLANET PARADE — BEFORE SUNRISE
For the early risers, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, Mars, Mercury and Jupiter will be spread across the morning sky.
Uranus and Neptune will require binoculars or a telescope.

🌑 NEW MOON
Tomorrow also brings a New Moon, virtually no moonlight to wash out the night sky.

☀️🌑 THE SOLAR ECLIPSE — EVENING
The main event.
Here in Wicklow, the Moon will cover the vast majority of the Sun.

🌘 Begins: approx. 6:13pm
🌘 Maximum: approx. 7:11pm
🌘 Ends: approx. 8:05pm

At maximum, the Sun will be reduced to an extraordinary thin crescent.
⚠️ Never look directly at the Sun without certified solar-eclipse glasses.

☄️ THE PERSEID METEOR SHOWER — NIGHT INTO THURSDAY

And when darkness finally falls, the Perseids , one of the great meteor showers of the year , peak overnight Wednesday into Thursday.
Best viewing: midnight to dawn
Find somewhere dark, away from street lights.

👀 Look generally towards the north-east and high across the sky, but don't focus on one small point — meteors can streak across almost any part of the sky.

Under perfect dark skies, dozens of meteors an hour may be visible.

🌀💨🌍🔥💧🌀

Across this island, our ancestors looked to the skies thousands of years ago , watching the movements of the Sun, Moon and stars and building extraordinary monuments aligned with events in the heavens.

They watched the horizon.
They followed the seasons.
They recognised patterns in the heavens.

Tomorrow gives us a pretty special reason to stop for a moment and look up.

5,000 years of looking to the skies and the wonder hasn't diminished one bit. 🌌🇮🇪

10/08/2026

When did having a home, raising a family and enjoying life become too much to ask?

People are working hard, paying their way and doing everything they were told to do ,yet for so many, getting ahead feels impossible.

The reality is that too many people aren’t living anymore.
They’re surviving.
And that should concern all of us.

If this resonates with you, watch the video and let me know what you think.

09/08/2026

RETURN TO SCHOOL

School holidays should be a time of joy for families but as the return to school approaches, that joy can quickly turn to stress.

Uniforms, shoes, supplies and devices all add up, at a time when families are already struggling with the cost of living.
The pressure keeps growing, while successive Governments have failed to tackle the real cost of supposedly free education.

Enough is enough. Families need support, not more pressure.

06/08/2026

The news that Wicklow County Council has secured €360,000 in funding from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to purchase a vacant property in Arklow under the Building Land and Acquisition Measure 2026 is very welcome and represents a positive step forward for the town.

Since elected, I have consistently raised the need for a dedicated community space in Arklow. I have explored and highlighted a number of possible options, from larger sites outside the town centre to vacant properties and sites within the town centre.

This announcement shows that the continued lobbying is beginning to make progress.

However, we must also approach the next stage carefully. Arklow is a large and growing town and any property purchased must be capable of meeting the real needs of its population. It should provide space for the many community groups currently struggling to find suitable premises.

We must also be mindful of recent property sales in the area, current market values and what can realistically be delivered within the funding available. I have requested clarification on a number of aspects of this and look forward to receiving a response.

I would also hope that some flexibility may be available should a suitable property become available at a price close to the current funding allocation.

Overall, this is very positive news for Arklow and an important step towards delivering the dedicated community space our town has needed for many years.

The purchase and regeneration of a suitable vacant property also has the potential to help breathe new life into Arklow’s town centre, while creating a lasting and much-needed resource for the wider community.

I welcome the announcement and look forward to working constructively with Wicklow County Council, local groups and the wider community to help ensure the right property is secured for Arklow.

01/08/2026

Lúnasa

One of the great seasonal festivals of the Celtic year.
Traditionally celebrated on the 1st of August, Lúnasa marked the first harvest , a time to recognise the work already done, give thanks for what the land had provided and look ahead to the changing season.

There is something grounding about these old traditions. They remind us that growth takes time, that every harvest begins with something planted much earlier and that even the smallest progress is worth acknowledging.

As the Celtic Wheel turns once again, may Lúnasa bring a sense of gratitude for what has been achieved, hope for what is still to come and a deeper appreciation for the land and community around us.

31/07/2026

WICKLOW’S FORGOTTEN FAMILIES

How many homes does Wicklow actually need?

We have been told that approximately 18,000 new homes will be required in Wicklow over the coming years to accommodate projected population growth.

But that figure primarily looks towards tomorrow.
What about the people who need a home today?

📍 17,090 adults in Wicklow are still living with their parents.

Based on average household sizes, providing independent homes for them could require approximately 12,207 homes.

📍 More than 4,500 households remain on the social housing waiting list.

📍 Wicklow also needs thousands of additional rental homes to create a functioning rental market where ordinary working people can find a home without being charged unaffordable rents.

A minimum of approximately 3,500 additional rental homes would be required to begin creating greater supply, competition and affordability.

That means Wicklow’s current unmet housing need could already exceed:

🏠 12,207 homes for adults living with parents
🏠 4,500 social homes
🏠 3,500 additional rental homes

That is more than 20,000 homes needed today.

Then we must add the approximately 18,000 homes required for projected population growth.

The true housing requirement for County Wicklow may therefore be closer to 40,000 homes, not 18,000.

We cannot create an honest housing strategy unless we are honest about the scale of the problem.

People already living, working and raising families in Wicklow cannot be excluded from the figures simply because they are hidden in childhood bedrooms, overcrowded homes or insecure rental accommodation.

They must be counted.
They must be represented.
And they must be given a realistic opportunity to rent, buy or build a home in their own county.

The Forgotten Families of Wicklow deserve more than another housing target.
They deserve a housing plan that recognises they exist.

No more forgotten families.