This gate (which is the only such gate on the peninsula unfortunately) currently costs €11,000+  ( but potentially more ) of taxpayers’ money annually to open and close per day. The gate is only closed for 5 and 1/4 hours per day but yet this expense for what. To date (2025), the spend on this gate is in the region of €220,000+. Money which could have been diverted and better spent on providing support and services for young and old people alike in our commnunity. Despite this level of expenditure, we have been unable to find a record of an official Tender Process undertaken by Fingal County Council for the gate. A Tender Process must be undertaken and advertised on etenders.gov.ie where certain amounts of money are being spent by government bodies and constitutes a legal requirement under EU Procurement Law. This would give greater detail on the breakdown of how this money is being allocated and spent thus being out in the public domain as it should be.

The gate was implemented at a meeting of 6 Ballisk Residents, 2 Elected Members and 3 Fingal CoCo Reps on Friday 22nd April 2005 at County Hall, Swords. 11 people in total made the decision on the night to impose this gate on Beverton residents who had no democratic say, were consulted or even invited to the meeting on the matter. Bear in mind Beverton residents are taxpayers too who are contributing to this fund for the operation of the gate. Beverton residents unfortunately having no say on the operation of the gate remains the situation to the present day. Since then times have changed and for the better. This is 2025 Ireland not 2005 Ireland.

This gate restricts access in and out of Beverton estate between 12.30pm and 5.45am daily. The alternative route is via the village through Turvey Avenue (which is isolated and poorly lit at night). 

The gate contravenes Fingal CoCos own policy of permeability within communities. The front of the Beverton Estate has a 24-hour open gateway (Beverton Close/Beresford Estate) but when you reach Beverton Estate /Ballisk a different set of rules apply. Why so ?????

This gate also poses a huge Health & Safety risk as there are numerous instances of young people injuring themselves whilst negotiating a gate which should not be there in the first place denying them appropriate access to their homes. 

However it is heartening to see that some Ballisk Residents have signed our Petition. 

This is a petition attempting to remove the gate altogether from Beverton Estate/Ballisk Lane.

The usual red herring of anti-social behaviour which is practically non-existent is also rolled out as a defence for the gate. Where is the evidence from An Garda Siochana for this? Where are the number of documented call outs per year?

As organisers of this Petition we will continue to raise the issue at Local Elections ,General Elections, etc.

The current arrangement with regard to the gate is a product of historical local political corruption, parish pump politics, cronyism and plain and simple nepotism nothing more, nothing less.

We are glad that our currently elected councillors are working hard to remove the gate hopefully by the end of quarter Jan - Mar 2025.