The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transport, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and environment.

Elections are held every five years on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).

[9][10] Under the same legislation, the size of the council was increased to 40 members as part of a nationwide reallocation of local authority membership numbers.

[11] The county of Fingal covers an area of 456 km2 and has 88 km of coastline stretching from Sutton in the south to Balbriggan in the north.

There are three large protected estuaries and salt marsh habitats, with thirteen major beaches.

Howth Head and the Liffey Valley are covered by Special Area Amenity Orders.

Fingal County Council has three representatives on the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly who are part of the Dublin Strategic Planning Area Committee.