The housing crisis has brought immense suffering to numerous individuals in Clontarf and the surrounding areas. Many find themselves trapped in a cycle of exorbitant rents, unable to save for a down payment on a home of their own. Others remain living with family far longer than they desire, delaying their independence, and some feel compelled to emigrate due to a lack of prospects in Ireland. It is essential that everyone has access to secure and affordable housing. Addressing this crisis requires a change in government to reverse decades of ineffective housing policies.

Sinn Féin offers an alternative approach to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. In our 2024 Alternative Budget, we propose increased investment, higher targets to meet demand, streamlined processes to reduce current delays of up to 2 years before building even starts, utilisation of new construction technologies, accelerated planning procedures, and adjustments to the tax code to incentivise the construction of affordable housing.

A team of Sinn Féin councillors would be committed to addressing the housing crisis at the local level. We aim to facilitate the construction of genuinely affordable homes through Local Councils and Approved Housing Bodies, utilising public land for this purpose, as is Sinn Féin’s plan in Government.

The key to building more affordable and social housing has to be for the state to use public lands to build these homes. We need to set up a state construction company that is not for profit to build the homes we need on state lands. 

This will take time to set up but we have wasted so much time at this stage, so to get the ball rolling in the meantime we have to work in partnership with established home builders using state lands under contract to the state with development levies and site costs wavered. 

The state should bulk buy the raw materials with which to build these homes once again reducing the costs that would be incurred as the usual added profit margins would be removed. After a robust tendering process and until such a time as the state can build homes itself, we will have to work in partnership with construction firms who have a proven track record in building social and affordable housing on a mass scale. 

It would also be a condition that the state would retain ownership of a percentage of these homes, never to be sold off, so that future generations would have access to social housing and at some stage, it would return monies to the local authority in the form of affordable rent.

Prioritise and push for direct delivery of housing by Dublin City Council. As a sitting councillor I have seen how government policy leaves us trying to build housing with one hand tied behind our backs. Local authorities, including DCC, need to be resourced and trusted to deliver housing on the land available to us. If re-elected I will campaign for and vote for direct delivery of public housing – particularly social and affordable.

In the current council term, I introduced motions to the Development Plan to allow for affordable housing zoning which would have capped the value of certain rezoned lands for housing delivery (potentially lands currently zoned for industrial or religious use) ensuring affordability and community benefit. This is a measure which has been successfully implemented in Vienna. Almost all government party Councillors voted against this and the council management blocked the move, determining that it was contrary to national legislation.

My Dáil colleague and Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson, Cian O’Callaghan TD, recently brought forward amendments to the Planning Bill to create legislative change that would enable affordable housing zoning and was blocked by government from doing so. Delivering the social and affordable housing we need at the volume we need it will require this kind of creative and large-scale solution and I will continue to fight for these alternative approaches.

Public Housing on Public Land. Cost Rental as core part of party policy. 12,000 homes in DCC pipeline - push for these by 2027. Over the shop living. Part V at 20% brought in from July 2023, it is already providing more housing units and social mix in private builds.

Sinn Féin has the vision and the policies to deliver affordable and public housing. I believe that people should have the right to a secure and affordable home. Secure housing is a cornerstone of building healthy and vibrant communities.

Eoin Ó Broin, in his role as Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing and Local Government has set out in detail how we in Sinn Fein would address the housing crisis including building public housing on State owned land, reducing delays in planning, and using new building technology to build homes faster and in more environmentally friendly methods.

A strong Sinn Féin team on Dublin City Council would be a driving force behind implementing this change.

The failure of government to set or meet ambitious housing targets has meant that the action we need now is enormous. The government have shown us that the developer-led model only creates scarcity and unaffordability. That’s why I support a state-led model of housing delivery and would use my position on Dublin City Council to push for state acquisition of land and direct state building projects. In the interim, we have thousands of individuals in private tenancies in receipt of HAP, I would also push to bring these private tenancies under state ownership and operation through expanding the tenant-in-situ scheme.

Sinn Féin has proposed substantial increases in government funding allocated to councils for the upkeep, renovation, and retrofitting of council-owned houses. This encompasses a dedicated fund aimed at empowering local authorities to proactively address maintenance issues, such as deteriorating windows and doors, dampness, mould, and leaks. All too frequently, minor issues escalate into major problems due to prolonged neglect. Our goal is for every local authority to develop a preventive maintenance strategy to mitigate such issues. Additionally, we would aim to implement a regeneration program for ageing apartment buildings and flats that have surpassed their intended lifespan.

No individual should be subjected to living conditions like dampness, mould, or neglect. Our focus is on prioritising the repair of properties most urgently in need of attention and reducing wait times for essential maintenance services.

To improve conditions in existing housing DCC needs to make available funds that can be used to retrofit properties in the rental market. These funds would be made available under the proviso that tenants have secure tenure. 

They must increase their rental contracts beyond the current twelve-month/yearly contracts that have become the standard norm. This offers a greater incentive to the landlords in the private sector to keep tenants in situ and also it offers the option to bring their property up to the highest energy rating, adding to the value of the property while also lowering the cost to the tenant when it comes to keeping the home warm in the colder months. 

For properties owned by Dublin City Council solar panels should be fitted to all roofs. This lowers the costs to the tenant for heating water and subsidised panels paid for over time by the owners of private dwellings would add to the value of their property but also reduce the costs to the tenants. This would add to the circular economy but also help in our fight to reach our climate targets and help reduce emissions.

One of the issues that is very concerning to me is the conditions and terms for DCC’s social housing tenants. I would like to see an independent advocate become available for our tenants – someone they can turn to with tenancy issues such as maintenance or as we have seen in recent times exclusion from certain amenities in a development – and, if re-elected, will be exploring the provision of this either within our council staffing structure or through a tenant representative organisation.

In terms of private rented accommodation, the heart-breaking thing is that so many tenants are putting up with completely intolerable living conditions because they feel they have no alternative and/or that they will lose the housing they have if they speak up. I regularly meet and speak with constituents who are living without working showers/ovens/heating or living with black mould, drafty windows and similar who are paying extortionate rents to live in completely inadequate conditions.

In the short term there needs to be more inspection of private properties and greater efforts to hold landlords to account. There is a division within DCC that inspects private rentals but it doesn’t have the resourcing to significantly tackle the issue and needs greater funding and staffing. The longer- term solution is to roll out much more cost rental housing where rent is affordable, tenancies are secure and tenants have actionable rights to maintenance and upkeep. Providing people with viable alternatives to subpar housing is a must.

Continue with upgrades to social housing. Reducing time due to skill shortage by Increasing the DCC apprenticeship recruitment. We sought apprenticeships and Dublin City Council are now actively recruiting.

Increasing for direct labour. This was advocated by green councillors and brought in by DCC in 2023.

We have requested that craft teams refurbish units together, so not waiting between door fixed and plumbing etc. A log of issues and a fix it team to arrange and do.

Increase inspection of private rental properties to make sure on the register and in compliance. Also changes in regulations on building standards of buy to rent apartments has increased.

More cost rental will force private landlords to reduce costs and increase value.

Regulations in EU on Airbnb to return apartments to long term rental or for purchase by LA and people to purchase as their homes.

During covid it became obvious how many apartments were vacant and were airbnb non owner occupied we sought that DCC housing use this opportunity to purchase these for public housing and they had some successl in doing so.

It has been clear for many years that large parts of the existing rental housing sector, both public and privately rented, is substandard. 

So many renters are left renting overpriced unfit accommodation without little long-term security.

Sinn Féin would ensure that all rental housing meets an acceptable standard.

New affordable rental and affordable ownership properties are needed to replace the use of substandard and unfit properties. We will ensure that all social homes are fit for purpose through refurbishing and retrofitting existing Council properties.

Right now, conditions are woeful in both social and private rentals across the country because local authorities are not resourced to carry out regular inspections and the Residential Tenancies Board does not have the kind of powers it should to effectively hold private landlords to account. Dublin City Council need to be carrying out more inspections of private and public tenancies and I will push for this if elected. Additionally, we need to be pushing nationally for a better resourced and empowered RTB which can inspect and sanction rogue landlords. I also support the retrofitting of social homes across the local area through the council so our homes can be warmer and more sustainable, and I will push for landlords to retrofit their tenants homes.

Dublin offers a vibrant and charming living, working, and visiting experience of the city. Yet, there is ample room for improvement in maintaining a clean environment, particularly regarding the cleanliness of our streets. I advocate for the transition of bin services back into public ownership, along with the enhancement of public waste services, including the provision of bins and recycling centres.

We need to see more bins across the city coupled with specific dog poo bins that also offer poo bags free of charge. This will encourage people to pick up after their pets. A campaign around the negative effects that dog poo has on people and why it’s important to clean up after your pet fouls would also be important. 

As the father of a young person who is a full-time wheelchair user, there is nothing more upsetting than having your hands and wheels covered in dog poo and makes for a very upsetting experience for all the family. 

As for rubbish, we need to take back control of our refuse collection. Since garbage collection was privatised more and more people are unable to cover the ever-increasing costs so they resort to illegal dumping. People pay enough in taxation and rates that we should be able to bring the rubbish collection back into the public domain and as additional costs are already being incurred by the council due to fly-tipping it makes sense to take back full control and reduce the consistent issues around illegal dumping. 

There is no one magic bullet solution to these problems and we have to consider balancing our needs and proactive versus reactive solutions. The more money spent on tackling dumping and littering, the less money there is for public art or playgrounds or creating positive public spaces/public realms. So, on the one hand there is the argument for resourcing more cleaning etc and in the council’s recent budget a lot more funding was allocated to street cleaning.

On the other hand, though is the idea of creating beautiful, accessible urban spaces to encourage people to engage with the city around them in a positive way. Both are necessary and we need a balance. One potential element of the solution to this is community wardens with responsibility for littering/dumping/dog fouling and ticketing of anti-social and illegal parking. More bins are another element of the solution. Remunicipalisation of our waste services would, I believe, go a long way towards tackling the chronic dumping issues.

We also need to ensure we have a city where our spaces are enjoyable, where families and people of all ages visit and participate, passive surveillance and positive use of our streets is vital. 

Community wardens. Extra bins. Seagull-proof bags. Shared bins. CCTV to catch and discourage dumping. Now possible under circular economy legislation.

I believe that Dublin City Council need to take a central role bin services and I support taking the bin service back into public ownership.

The privatisation of waste has not benefited society, it has only created duplicate services, increased costs for households and illegal dumping.

Dublin City Council has failed at sufficiently investing into creating a clean environment in the city. To see any meaningful change to our streets, we need to see Dublin City Council investing in more street cleaning teams and ensure that bins are empty in timely manner.

The introduction of a Hotel Bed Night Tax could provide much needed funding that could be ringfenced to investing into a clearer city. A 1% charge could raise in excess of €12 million.

An increased portion of our local property taxes should be ringfenced for street cleansing. It isn’t acceptable that the city centre, which is a place people work and live, is continuously a black spot for rubbish and illegal dumping. People should feel proud of where they are from and the actions of a few should not be allowed to destroy that. Litter wardens need to be given real powers too – for example, they should be able to fine people who are in charge of a dog in public without bagging equipment with them. 

We also need an adequate supply of public bins, communal bins in public housing locations and a commitment from the City Council that all graffiti – not just offensive/racist graffiti – will be removed where it appears.

There are a large number of unoccupied and derelict properties in Dublin that have remained vacant for years, including in Clontarf, which only exacerbates the issues facing our communities.

Sinn Féin proposes that local authorities pursue Compulsory Purchase orders, where feasible, to redevelop these derelict properties and advocate for expanded implementation of the Buy and Renew scheme to revitalise unused buildings. We also call for monthly updates to enhance the collection of the Derelict Sites Levy and speed up the process of returning vacant social housing.

Vacancy and dereliction exist through the fact the owners for whatever reason are either unwilling or unable to maintain the property. Therefore the property should be made available to the council to repurpose so it can be brought back into use which will help tackle the ongoing housing catastrophe. 

Ongoing attempts at implementing dereliction charges and vacancy charges have had little effect on the issue. We need to offer a fair price for the dwellings, they can then be brought back into use. The council would undertake the appropriate works that would see the home be made safe and habitable. These homes would then be owned and maintained by DCC never to be sold off which would in turn help build up stock and protect the long-term housing needs of the people.

Vacancy and dereliction are an absolute scourge in our city. They are responsible for so much misery in terms of lost housing opportunities, lost creative opportunities and creating an overall sense of neglect and apathy.  The council needs to be more proactive in terms of these properties and some positive developments are beginning to happen in this space with the council buying derelict and vacant private property for transformation to homes. 

The real solution at scale to this problem is not at council level though and I think we need to be honest about that. If we persist in the narrative that the local authorities are the ones to tackle this then we fail to lay the blame where it really lies.

The government needs to introduce a vacant property tax with teeth. The tax they have introduced is pitiful at just three times local property tax – far below the rate of property value increases - and it is self assesed. If the goal was to design a measure that wouldn’t do the job, they nailed it. What is needed is a substantial vacant property tax with significant enforcement, which increases incrementally year on year to ensure investors are not sitting on vacant properties across our city while they accumulate value while damaging the social and economic fabric of our city. 

Increasing council logging of vacant units. Push for CPO-ing. Quicker release of grants for refurbishment of vacant buildings for homes. Increase the repurposing of office buildings for housing.

Sinn Féin would use the vacant homes tax and derelict sites levy to tackle speculative purchase and non-productive holding of vacant and derelict properties.

We would make use of Buy and Renew and Compulsory Purchase powers to return derelict properties to use.

We would resource Dublin City Council to acquire and return properties to use and speed up the reletting of vacant council properties.

Sinn Féin would bring a proactive approach to identifying and planning for the strategic development of significant underutilised land banks, particularly those which are already held by state bodies. This must be balanced with the need to develop local sport and parks capacity which can support increasing housing density in the inner city. 

In times of crisis, we cannot let speculative developers control our housing supply. Dereliction is a blight on our community, we need progressive voices on the council which will push to acquire vacant properties so that can retrofit and develop them directly with the Land Development Agency to provide much needed housing and community spaces. I would also push to introduce a ‘use it or lose it’ rule on derelict sites with existing planning permission where the developer has failed to turn soil to prevent speculative land hoarding. This would mean the council would have a right to acquire the property when the developer has waited too long to undergo the development of a site with existing planning permission.

Communities have the right to feel secure and safe, yet numerous people in Dublin express concerns about their safety.

Sinn Féin has presented our plans to bolster investment in the Gardaí, aiming to increase the presence of Gardaí on our streets to protect communities. We propose the establishment of a public transport policing unit to enhance safety for commuters. Additionally, we are committed to addressing the recruitment and retention challenges within the Gardaí to prevent the significant number of resignations.

It is proven that if you increase footfall and activity in our urban surroundings, antisocial behaviour falls dramatically. You will never completely remove antisocial behaviour but if you offer people alternatives they can at least have options not to engage in it. Such things as investing in local clubs and sports facilities. 

In our parks, we can install better lighting, and add community hubs and areas that people can enjoy socialising together in. Offer good seating and areas where communities can hold events days while also inviting people to open small food and drinks outlets, outlets that could be run by local volunteers and organisations. This would give people a stake in their community, something to feel proud of. 

This along with investing in local youth clubs and halls offering sporting activities and other pastimes would have a positive impact on society and in turn, make our communities safer and more friendly for our people. We need to offer people positive solutions, not to vilify them due to the fact they have little involvement in their community. This is one of the best ways to create a safer, friendlier city.

Again,this is a multi-layered question. There is no doubt – and I’ve never been a “bring in the Gardaí” person – that our city needs more visible policing and more community policing. More Gardai on foot/on bicycles interacting with and building relationships with the communities they work in would make a world of difference. The Joint Policing Committee for the North Central Area recently wrote to the Minister for Justice expressing our view that more police resourcing was vital for the area and we received a stock reply telling us that what we have is just fine. That is not, however, the experience of people on the ground. 

The more long-term answer is around investing in at-risk communities, providing better infrastructure and amenities in low-income areas and involving people in sport and the arts. Often the city feels unsafe because of those left at the margins of our society, people will attack and threaten something if they feel isolated or excluded from it and if they feel they have nothing to lose.

We need to work harder to engage young people who feel disconnected from our society and to offer them meaningful opportunities to engage, work and play within our city. We need to look at the impacts of multi-generational addiction and provide a health-based response to allow individuals and families to move out of a cycle of addiction. 

This might sound corny or whatever but very genuinely I got involved in politics because I have kids and I believe you cannot make your own children safe in a deeply unequal society, you have to work to make all the children around them safe as well. That means access to decent housing, healthcare, education – we make the city safer by treating all the people with dignity and respect and affording them the basics for a decent life. 

Passive surveillance. Role for Gardai but also non-policing responses. Clean and careful. Liveable neighbourhoods. More cafes and mixed use over the shops.

By 2022, there were 18% fewer Gardaí in Dublin than in 2009 despite growth in the city’s population. Social work and care services struggle for funding. Gangs have been allowed to embed themselves in and terrorise communities across Dublin. The State has been weak at tackling organised crime, even where it exists in City Council properties.

 An increased Garda presence in the city centre and across local communities is not a cure-all, but the decimation of Garda numbers since 2009 has allowed space for criminality and anti-social behaviour. Sinn Féin would invest in the Gardaí, so we can have more Gardaí on our streets protecting communities. We would get to grips with the recruitment and retention crisis in the Garda to end the huge numbers resigning.

We would also invest in frontline social work and care services to support community development. Tackling inequalities across access to housing, sports and recreation, education, and employment are essential to prevention, avoidance, and diversion.

In my time as a local area representative, I have engaged with so many people across our area who all ask for the same thing – a visible community policing presence in our area. While Gardaí will generally respond if called, the deterrent effect of visible officers on our streets cannot be understated. It helps people feel safer and wards off anti social behaviour. We also need to couple this with a targeted approach to street lighting to ensure no ”black spots” exist, and this work should be completed before the winter months arrive again. And across the city, we need to have a continued focus on investing in local communities and public amenities such as sports facilities and cultural spaces so that young people have positive options available to them and are less susceptible to negative influences that can exploit them. 

Ensuring road safety and accessible transportation is fundamental to fostering secure and inclusive communities where individuals can live, work, and enjoy recreational activities without concern. The year 2023 witnessed the highest number of road fatalities in nearly a decade, with Dublin ranking the worst in public transportation among 30 European cities. The time for change is now.

We know that many children face challenges getting to school safely without a parent dropping them off, which not only poses a burden on parents but also limits young people's independence. In government, we would increase funding to allow children to get to school safely.

Promoting active modes of transportation, such as cycling and walking for those who are able to do so, will play a pivotal role in addressing the climate crisis. For this to be realistic, it is so important that people feel confident that they can do so safely. We support carrying out comprehensive audits of all footpaths and implementing a program for footpath refurbishment to ensure that everyone can navigate their local area with ease.

Public transport is a major issue in our city. We have ongoing issues around access in our public train stations with lifts failing and unmanned stations. Even though it has improved it is still nowhere near where we need it to be and we need to see more staff in our stations to offer safety and security to commuters. 

Busconnects still has a way to go. People need to see increased capacity, as a lot of the time commuters are finding that buses are overcrowded and during peak morning times buses fly by full with people having to wait for extended periods before they can catch the next one. 24-hour bus corridors are welcome and we need to roll out more routes that can accommodate them, especially if we want people to leave their cars at home. 

Another huge issue is disability access and the fact only one wheelchair user can travel on a Dublin bus at any one time. Some buses can accommodate two wheelchairs and we need to put pressure on TFI to see that these are the busses purchased for our Dublin bus fleet. It will offer equality of independence for everyone in our community. 

Blue badge parking has been badly repositioned in our city. Bays have been relocated on roads with steep gradients, roads with no dropped kerbs and access to footpaths. We see blue badge parking with terrible bay positioning. Wheelchair users alighting into traffic and having to cross bike lanes to reach the safety of the footpaths. We see them placed beside poles and other physical barriers that need to be repositioned. We need to involve the disability community more when making these design changes as no one can advise us better than those with lived experience.

While we wait to move to more independent mobility we have to be mindful that some will always need personal transportation or their independence. Proper consultation and engagement and then acting on the findings from that process will help create a better public transport system for everyone.

I’m a supporter of Busconnects and am looking forward to the roll out of the core bus corridors – I think that will go some way towards improving public transport in many areas of the city. Some of the orbital routes which have been introduced are very welcome in the communities I work for. We need to work faster and smarter to deliver major infrastructure projects like the metro. We need to expand capacity on our existing services – LUAS, DART and bus.

In all of this we need to keep accessibility issues for people with disabilities accessing stations and the buses/trains/trams themselves front and centre. We have failed on that in the past and our public transport has acted to disable people so we need to be aware and prevent it from happening again. Most of the people I speak to are open to using public transport but we have to make it as easy and reliable for people as possible. It should be much less hassle to get the bus than taking your car. 

Supporting BusConnect and major PT infrastructure investment. Camera based enforcement to get cars out of bus lanes. Lowering fares etc at national gov level. City Centre transport plan. Multi-modal connected transport. Integrated travel card for public transport and active transport hire.

We need to be far more ambitious with public transport and urban planning. Cities with far more advanced public transport systems still have many of the same challenges as Dublin. Addressing chaotic and unpredictable traffic in the long-term is tied to the housing crisis. It requires a rethink of how we plan and develop the city and affordable housing.

In the short-term, we need to support and develop rapid bus and rail transport networks which are unimpeded by traffic congestion. The number and reliability of buses needs to be improved. Rail networks, including the Luas and the DART, are significantly under-developed.

Significant infrastructure projects, taking far too long to progress. Quicker delivery of infrastructure is necessary to enable convenient public transport. Public transport should also be delivered in advance of major new residential developments so that convenient linkages exist when residents move in.

Workers and communities which are dependent on cars for longer distance travel need to be supported with timely public transport to reduce congestion and improve road safety. Motor traffic should be directed along the most efficient routes for reaching long-distance destinations, and the traffic system should enable quick movement along these corridors for all users. 

The focus of our transport policy should be to ensure that travelling by public transport becomes the easy, cheap and obvious way to travel for people who are able to. If we do this successfully, it will take those people out of private cars and actually make things easier for people who really need to travel by car, e.g. those who have medical needs or are older. Public transport has been made a lot cheaper in recent years but the cost needs to come down further – if more people use public transport, the whole city benefits in terms of a reduction in congestion and pollution. We need to make sure that ambitious travel plans such as BusConnects are rolled out but that communities are kept informed, and consulted about new changes. And we need to all work together to make sure that traffic disruption, where it is necessary to bring about changes to road layouts in order to facilitate these changes, is kept to a minimum and that our environment remains safe for vulnerable pedestrians.

Ensuring road safety and accessible transportation is fundamental to fostering secure and inclusive communities where individuals can live, work, and enjoy recreational activities without concern. The year 2023 witnessed the highest number of road fatalities in nearly a decade, with Dublin ranking the worst in public transportation among 30 European cities. The time for change is now.

We know that many children face challenges getting to school safely without a parent dropping them off, which not only poses a burden on parents but also limits young people's independence. In government, we would increase funding to allow children to get to school safely.

Promoting active modes of transportation, such as cycling and walking for those who are able to do so, will play a pivotal role in addressing the climate crisis. For this to be realistic, it is so important that people feel confident that they can do so safely. We support carrying out comprehensive audits of all footpaths and implementing a program for footpath refurbishment to ensure that everyone can navigate their local area with ease.

Bike lanes need to be made safer as some new lanes are already becoming clogged with foliage and debris. These lanes need to be raised to not inadvertently become drains for storm water as is the case with some of our new lanes most notably on Griffith Avenue. 

Properly segregated lanes with visual markings to make it very clear as to their purpose need to be a main priority around new infrastructure. For pedestrians, we need to see more streets pedestrianised. Creating safe zones for people to enjoy the city independently. These streets must be step-free and inclusive so everyone no matter what their ability or mobility can enjoy them.

In my time on the council, I have been supportive of all measures to improve walking and cycling facilities. In my own area the Griffith Avenue cycle lane and the larger Clontarf to City Centre project (C2CC) have had a mixed reception but I think once the work on the latter is complete, the cycle lanes are fully open and the lanes of traffic into town are open again, it will be worth it. 

I want to see a city where a ten-year-old can cycle to school or football or gymnastics without worrying about their safety. Think about how much the congestion reduces when the schools are off. If we make it safe for children to cycle, walk or scoot to school we’ve improved things for everyone – drivers included.  I hope to see in the coming term the further roll out of the North Central Area cycling network – including planned cycle lanes from Finglas to Killester and from Edge’s Corner to Parnell Street. This will involve, however, electing people who support these measures.

In terms of walking, I will be advocating for the roll out of more zebra crossings to give pedestrians right of way when crossing and of more of the continuous footpaths we see in the C2CC design. Then we need to get the basics right – keeping footpaths in good condition has been important to me during this term and I will push for greater investment in footpath repair and upkeep in the wider Clontarf local electoral area.

Segregated bike networks. Zebra crossings and upgraded crossing points. 30kph. Neighbourhood transport plans funded.

Continuous pavements as in C2CC project and upgrade and widen narrow and poor-quality pavements. More pedestrian crossings. Maintenance and cleaning of pavements and cycleways.

Bike parking, bike bunkers and more indoor bike parking that we were successful in getting in Jervis, Spire and Drury Street carparks.

More mobility hubs, shared range of bikes, cargo bikes and adapted bikes.

More bike training/skills courses for all ages.

More advocacy for the society and individual benefits of active transport.

Protected and joined up pedestrian and cycling infrastructure must be planned across the city. Most of our lives and the city have been planned around cars for decades. Successfully tackling traffic congestion requires providing both public transport and active travel alternatives.

There are areas of the inner city with very low vehicle ownership rates and these communities need to be supported to move freely and safely around their local areas. If you are able-bodied or live close enough to work, cycling and walking can be an extremely convenient way to travel around the city and it should be promoted. Many of us are lucky enough to be able to take advantage of this, but not everyone can.

Workers and communities which are dependent on cars for longer distance travel need to be supported with timely public transport to reduce congestion and improve road safety. Motor traffic should be directed along the most efficient routes for reaching long-distance destinations, and the traffic system should enable quick movement along these corridors for all users. This can facilitate quieter streets off main carriageways and the development of dedicated cycling infrastructure.

Those who must use cars, such as people with disabilities and their carers or parents, must continue to be supported to access and travel across the city. 

We should audit the most popular routes to cycle around the city for unseen hazards which may make it more difficult to walk or cycle – such as mixing of cycle lanes with pedestrian footfall, potholes and blind corners that can all put people off cycling and walking. We also need to enforce our existing parking rules to make sure that people using buggies, and those in wheelchairs, are not constantly forced out in the roadway by illegally parked cars. In those areas where the roadways are narrow, the City Council should work with local residents to find a solution that is safe for everyone.

I am committed to advocating for a society that upholds principles of fairness, equality, diversity, and inclusivity. It is essential that every part of our community, especially marginalised groups, feel safe, represented, and free of the fear of harm. Acts of arson targeting accommodation for asylum seekers are unjustifiable and have no place in our society, and I strongly condemn such attacks.

The rise of the right-wing, anti-immigrant narrative is a result of the failed policies of successive governments over the past 25 years. Communities feel left behind and abandoned.

The housing crisis is having a massive negative impact on our society. People are feeling hopeless with no chance of living independently outside the family home and are very angry at this prospect.

Individuals who would never have had any concern for our communities are now stoking the flames of frustration and hopelessness and targeting people who need us to help them the most. This is creating huge tension and fear. 

It all comes back to housing and offering hope. We need to offer hope to people, hope they can live independently of the family home. We live in a multicultural society, one that is reliant on migrants to keep its hospitals going, public busses driving and supermarkets open.

We have to resist the narrative being pushed from a place of hatred and to do what we Irish have always done best, offer the hand of friendship and solidarity and welcome people into our multicultural society just as we have been welcomed the world over.

We should encourage more community days whereby we bring all the community together and show people we have a lot more in common than those who seek to divide us would have us believe.

Like so many people out there I am upset, angered and frightened by the rise in this kind of sentiment and action. Like most of my constituents and community I value inclusion, diversity and a warm Irish welcome. I consider myself an activist as much as a public representative and one of the key reasons I am in this role is to actively push back against the tide of this kind of hatred.

Over the years, I have attended countless solidarity marches, Trans Pride parades, Dublin for All gatherings and the like. I am an active and proud member of the Dublin Bay North for All (DBN for All) team and in the past year have been involved in organising a diversity and inclusion family festival in Bram Stoker park with members from across our community, both long standing and more recently arrived, which was attended by approx. 3,000 and featured performances from a variety of nationalities and cultures.

In recent weeks, I have helped through the DBN for All group with fundraising for the men seeking asylum at the International Protection Office on Mount Street – raising over €9k to meet immediate needs and then transferring the remaining amount to the Muslim Sisters of Eire and the Movement of Asylum Seekers of Ireland to continue supporting new arrivals. People’s anger and fear at – in my experience –a lack of housing for them, their children and their grandchildren is being weaponised by a minority of far right actors and we need to provide alternatives to direct that anger where it belongs – at the failure over decades to provide public and affordable housing, at the underinvestment in disability services and supports, health care, education and so on.

It is up to those of us who value a diverse inclusive Dublin to build an alternative to the hate that is being pushed, an alternative that focuses on everyone having access to the basics that allow for a decent life.

Greens founded on peace, equality and inclusion and are at work across Europe to support minorities.

• Support asylum seekers. Support integration initiatives. Funding For All groups. Hosting World Refugee Day in the Mansion House.
• It is a founding principle of the Green Party for a fairer distribution of the Earth's resources to address national and global poverty.
• Use integration funding to benefit communities that are lacking in amenities.
• Support creatively and cross-cultural conversations. Continue with policy of equality and inclusion working with communities.
• More community events, be mindful of inclusion and diversity when planning and promoting all Dublin City council events.

I will be a voice for a fair, equal and diverse society. All sections of our communities must be able to feel safe and included. Arson attacks have no place in our society and I condemn these attacks.

People should be angry at the failure of the political establishment to provide affordable housing and strong local health services, for example. Ordinary workers have been failed time and again. This affects us all, and the blame lies squarely at the feet of Government and those with real power in our society, not with any minority group.

The Gardaí must be supported to tackle criminality, including attacks on people and property. At the same time, I believe that much more can and should be done to support the strength and diversity of our local communities through community events.

Most of us know and understand that there are issues with our immigration system, particularly international protection. We have known for years that Direct Provision is not fit for purpose, that processing times have taken too long, and that there are clear failings around enforcement. People living and working here on visas often report difficulties with the immigration system taking far too long.

The failures in the system have come to the fore and there are people making millions from this dysfunction. We should all be angry at this, too, and demanding that it is fixed. This election is an opportunity for real change which can tackle the inequalities and failures which have the potential to significantly harm and divide our society. 

Everyone will be aware that it’s more common to hear racist and hateful language being used now than ever before. This is really worrying – and it’s scary how much of it is being fuelled by harmful misinformation on social media. We need to ensure regulation of social media companies who should be expected to ensure the content on their platforms is not designed to stir up hatred about vulnerable minorities. We also need to ensure our children are sufficiently protected and that they are not shown targeted content which is inappropriate for their ages.

I understand that where resources are limited, communities have concerns about immigration – but it is the government’s responsibility to address these concerns and to ensure Ireland remains the tolerant, open and progressive society it has always been. All of us want to see better services for our communities, but this doesn’t need to come at the cost of our international protection obligations, where people are fleeing the most desperate situations in their home countries.