Cllr Aoife Flynn Kennedy

Aoife holds an Honours Degree in Social Policy, a Diploma in Local Government Studies, as well as qualifications in areas such as Addiction Studies, Mediation, Diversity & Equality, and Leadership & Management.  She has also completed a UK Level 4 Qualification in Housing with the Chartered Institute of Housing and is a strong believer in ongoing education.

She has had a diverse career to date, currently working in the housing sector, specifically Age Friendly Social Housing; she previously worked in the disability sector for seven years.  She has also worked in three local authorities in many areas such as housing, community, events, accessibility, equality, and disability.  Aoife believes that this experience has allowed her to better understand the working of local government at a community level, and how best to support individuals to access services they need.

Aoife is passionate about her community and has always played an active role in local groups such as Guides, Scouts and Tidy Towns.  She previously held the role (for three years) of Chairperson of the East Coast Regional Drug & Alcohol Task Force, which does fantastic work to support individuals and families dealing with addiction.  Currently she is Chairperson of a local charity, Ark Housing Association and actively involved in working on Bray becoming the next Autism Friendly Town.

Aoife’s priorities include:

• Full Time Fire Service for Bray – a long overdue need in this town and surrounding areas; Bray’s needs can no longer be met by the current part-time service. It is not sustainable for our wonderful Fire Service staff, or for our communities.
• Valuing Community Work – Supporting the work of community and voluntary groups working in our communities.
• Community Facilities – Supporting the development of new facilities, and the improvement of existing community facilities, including the examination of under-utilised existing public buildings and bringing these back into public use.
• Accessibility – Addressing accessibility issues through Bray, Kilmacanogue and Enniskerry and targeting access barriers for people with disabilities.
• Equal Access for All – Creating more inclusive communities for all.
• Housing – Working with the Local Authority and Approved Housing Bodies to address homelessness and housing issues.
• Environment – Protecting our Biodiversity and Heritage for future generations.
• Your Local Authority – creating greater awareness of the work being undertaken by the local authority and creating increased opportunities for the community voices of all ages to be heard.