Community Engagement

Engaging and Supporting our Local Communities

Dublin Airport is one of the most important economic assets in the country, providing an essential service that connects Ireland to the world. It supports almost 130,000 jobs and contributes €9.8 billion annually to the national economy.

The airport is a neighbour to many communities on whom we depend to operate the airport on a daily basis. Our policy to promote positive development in education, literacy, sports and the arts in our local communities has always been part of the culture of Dublin Airport.

We have a long-standing track record of working with many communities across North Dublin, with a particularly close association with our neighbours in Cloghran, St. Margaret’s, Swords, Portmarnock, Malahide and Santry. We aim to continually support and engage with local schools, community groups and projects in these areas and beyond, through the implementation of a variety of initiatives such as our community fund, educational programmes and dedicated engagement forums.

Community Fund

The airport’s €10 million Community Fund was launched in 2017 with an annual investment of €400,000 over 25 years. Support is focused on areas including environment and sustainability, sports and recreation, social inclusion and community development, health and well-being, and culture and heritage.

The Community Fund supports projects in neighbouring communities around Dublin Airport, many of which Dublin Airport has been the main sponsor for several years.
You can find out more about the Community Fund here.

Education Programmes

Through our Education Programmes, we aim to encourage young people to stay in school and finish their education whilst also helping them gain a better understanding of the business and aviation world.

We have identified the provision of educational support to our local schools as an area where we can bring great benefit to our local communities. Dublin Airport employees can provide great insight to young minds into the wide variety of jobs and careers available both at the airport and beyond.

Our education programme is designed to impact the lives of young people in the schools in which we work, particularly through our partnerships with Business in the Community (BITC) and Junior Achievement Ireland.

Business in the Community

In one of BITC’s longest running partnerships, Dublin Airport is twinned with St. Finian’s Community College in Swords to provide the World of Work Programme. Our colleagues volunteer to share their experiences of life, study and work with senior cycle students.

The programme not only benefits students but also gives our colleagues the opportunity to enhance and develop their own presentation and communication skills, whilst adding diversity to the working day. The programme provides students with an insight into the world of work as well as assistance in considering career and study options available to them when they finish school.

Sessions include company overviews, site visits, ‘A Day in the Life’ talks, presentation and communication skills, and final wrap-up sessions during which students demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have acquired during the programme. Whilst our programme modules needed to be delivered online during

Covid restrictions did not affect the level of participation by students or volunteers, resulting in almost 500 students 100 Dublin Airport volunteers participating in BITC programmes to date.

Junior Achievement

daa has been involved with Junior Achievement Ireland (JAI) for over twenty years and in that time over 300 colleagues have volunteered to work with thousands of students to help inspire them to reach their full potential. Volunteers guide their classes through fun and engaging topics such as “Our Community”, “Our City” and “Our World” with a particular emphasis on the Science and Technology sector as well as the overall importance of receiving an education.

A key aspect of daa’s involvement in Junior Achievement is students’ opportunity to visit the airport where they learn about the different roles and jobs in aviation as well as the operational aspect of the business.

Christmas Entertainment Programme

The Christmas entertainment programme at Dublin Airport has long been an integral part of the incredible Christmas atmosphere created at the airport every year. In the lead up to the big day, local schools and choirs perform in the Arrivals Halls of our two terminals and bring first class festive cheer to passengers coming home for Christmas and those awaiting their arrival.

Schools from Holywell, Rivermeade, Rolestown and St. Margaret’s are just some of those who entertain customers at the airport annually. They are also joined by a number of adult choirs and groups with The Dublin Airport Singers, The Lambay Singers, Cór Dubhlinne, Clane Musical Society and Fingal Gospel Choir among our regulars.

We’d like to thank all the performers who make Christmas such a special time at Dublin Airport for both passengers and staff.

Community Engagement

We understand that a balance needs to be achieved in operating an international airport and the needs of our local communities.

This is why Dublin Airport has an open-door policy where we are happy to meet our neighbours on a one-to-one basis or in community groups.

Dublin Airport Environmental Working Group

The Dublin Airport Environmental Working Group (DAEWG) (formerly known as the Dublin Airport Stakeholder Forum) was established in 2004 and focuses on issues such as noise, air quality monitoring and the development of airport infrastructure. It is independently chaired and includes representatives from community groups across North Dublin including Portmarnock, Malahide, St. Margaret’s, Swords and Santry, as well as representatives from Dublin Airport, Fingal County Council and the Irish Aviation Authority.

The group was formed to ensure that all stakeholders could meet in a non-adversarial and information-exchanging format to focus on matters of business that were of ongoing concern to community representatives.
Meeting Minutes from both the DASF and DAEWG are available here.

Community Liaison Group

The St. Margaret’s Community Liaison Group (CLG) was established in 2016 and comprises representatives from the local community, daa and Fingal County Council.

Since its inception, the group has been focusing on many areas of interest to the local community including airport operations and future plans. Where required, experts attend the meetings to provide an opportunity for a detailed discussion on a topic that is deemed to be of particular interest to the group.

This is a hugely beneficial forum that facilitates information exchange and provides a solid platform for all three bodies to communicate in an open and transparent manner.

The group’s meeting documentation is available here.