An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-26
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Chris Andrews (SF), Labour Panel

Dartry gym, which is also known as Iconic Health Club in Rathgar, Dublin 6 is more than just a gym. It is a community hub that employs 35 or 36 individuals. The benefit of the gym to the local community is profound. It makes its facilities available to schools and sports clubs free of charge. Mental health groups such as Blueballs Ireland have had significant support from Dartry gym. Young and old use the facilities. It is a generous sponsor and supporter of various community projects.
The problem is that the gym and its development is being targeted and blocked by a prolific objector. The current objection from the prolific objector is to a canopy that was erected during Covid to allow exercise in a safe, open and healthy environment. This is a wellness space. It provides classes in a healthy space and it is barely visible to pedestrians. This facility will have to be removed due to this one objector, who I believe is not impacted at all by the facility. I have been inundated with emails and calls from locals who use the gym to improve their health and to socialise.
What really irritates me is that when residents in the inner city protest against a facility or service, they have to take to the streets because they do not have the resources, time, money or professional background. They are often derided for doing so by the media and commentators. This objector is a senior counsel and because he has the time, money and professional background, and knows his ways around the courts and legal processes, he can put in objection after objection and no one says anything. He is not derided in the press or among commentators. This mostly happens only if people are from a disadvantaged community. If people have the letters for senior counsel after their names, such as Gabriel Gavigan has, they can object as much as they want and object to anything they want and no one will comment. Anything I say now is on the public record; he has signed all of the objections and they are on the record. This is very unfair on a gym that makes a massive contribution to the local community. As I have said, it is being damaged and impacted negatively by one individual.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-26/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:42+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-26