The housing crisis has caused misery for countless people across Dublin 6, 6W & 12. Many people feel trapped paying sky high rents while unable to save up for a deposit to buy their own home. Others are living at home with family, putting their lives at home long after they want to have their own independence. Others feel forced to move emigrate because they can’t picture a future here in Ireland. I personally know many from my own age-group that fall in to each of these categories.

Everyone should have the right to a secure and affordable home. A change of government is needed to unravel and reverse decades of bad housing policy.

A team of Sinn Féin councillors on DCC will work hard To tackle the housing crisis too. We'd work to deliver affordable purchase homes through Local Councils and Approved Housing Bodies at prices people can genuinely afford. Local councils and Approved Housing Bodies will deliver the new affordable homes in Sinn Féin’s government plan, on public land.

Dereliction is a huge issue. In areas like Rathmines you are very unlikely to get any new-build developments, but at the same time there are vacant properties all over the place. We need to get them back into use. You also find a surprisingly high number of them in housing estates in more suburban parts of the LEA, in the likes of Kimmage and Crumlin where dwellings are laying idle for various reasons. In already built up areas, reversing dereliction has to be key.

Summary: Proper target setting; Massively ramp up supply; better City Development Plan; more non-profit builds; more comprehensively tackling vacancy and dereliction

To deal with any problem, you first have to acknowledge it properly. The current targets for DCC’s social and affordable housing from 2024 to 2026 are about 9,000 units total. To put that in context, there are approximately 29,000 people on the social housing list as of January 2024 and 20% of those people have been waiting longer than 10 years. So very obviously the targets are not appropriate whatsoever. In the first instance, I will be advocating for proper target-setting so we actually grapple with the enormity of the crisis in front of us.

Secondly, it is clear we have to massively ramp up supply of housing. I will seek to do this locally in a few key ways:

• Ensuring the City Development Plan matches the right targets across all types of housing in all parts of the city.
• Advocating for clear plans from the Council’s management to develop more housing with non-profit cooperative schemes (which are cheaper), including unlocking and fast-tracking debt facilities for these builds.
• Seeking to bring all - and yes, I mean all - derelict and vacant properties into use by increasing vacancy taxes, dereliction fines, and compulsory purchase orders in a “improve it or lose it in 12 months” policy combined with an improved grant and loan fund to help owners refurbish those properties to rent or sell.

Thirdly, it is clear that national housing supply policy is not delivering sufficient supply to solve the problem. The government missed its own targets on social and affordable homes last year by several thousand. The Social Democrats as a party, if elected to the next government, will nearly double the national targets for housing builds from about 30,000 to 50,000 homes per year, and massively increase the amount of social and affordable housing builds in particular.

Housing cannot simultaneously be a commodity and a human right. Fundamentally, the current approach, which is to leave it to the private sector alone, isn’t working. It has never worked before, and it can’t work now. Stopping that trend requires a change in national government, but it requires Dublin City Council to step up too.

There is a fundamental problem with public land being partially privatised and used for developers. I have been really encouraged by some of the recent comments of the new CEO of DCC, Richard Shakespeare, who has indicated his desire to see delivery of more council homes. I will be voting and advocating in a way to support that call because housing is the single most frequent issue raised with me. It also has consequences for everything: access to childcare and school places, public health, urban sprawl, access to the jobs market, and our mental health.

However, with the housing crisis as bad as it is, we also cannot allow striving for perfection to allow deals to fall through which mean no one gets housed. Labour councillors put in the work to get concessions when we see these sorts of suboptimal offers on the table. For example, we can secure agreements prohibiting the selling on of a new development to an investor, we can stipulate that a higher proportion of social and affordable homes are built than is provided for in law. Sometimes nuance can get lost in the news coverage of these negotiations. However, voters deserve representatives who will push for more public housing on public land, in the first instance; but where that argument has been lost (for example, where a majority of other parties’ voters have voted to sell off land), Dubliners deserve representatives who will exhaust every avenue to ensure this city gets the best deal possible under those circumstances. I am proud to be running for a Party that will always do that.

Locally, there is also important work underway on the Gulistan site in Rathmines. The council had wanted to sell it off to a private developer but we just could not allow it to be sold off. I am glad to be building on some of the brilliant work of my predecessor, Mary Freehill, to ensure that the site serves the community. While negotiations for an HSE land swap means we won’t simply see this land disposed of, we are not yet at a point where the full complement of a primary-care centre, affordable housing, and community spaces have been delivered. We now have a working group in place and there is a real opportunity for this valuable land to provide new primary care services and housing. I want to continue to build on what Mary Freehill achieved to see the project progress sooner, rather than later. It takes graft and persistence.

Stronger local government is needed. When we see those countries who are good at delivering homes – I am thinking of Germany and Austria as examples – they are places with strong local government. I think all councillors are united in making the call for more powers. However, with more powers come more responsibilities. I find it frustrating that some councillors will use one of the most important powers we have, setting the annual local property tax, to diminish our budget. That has a knock on consequence for parks and street cleaning, but also for housing. More and more people of my generation are finding that we lack the security of owning a home. That is something our parents had, and it is a presumption on which so much is based in Ireland, from the social protection system to the weakness of protections for renters.

Sinn Fein has pledged to deliver the biggest social and affordable housing in the history of the state.

A large development locally has been bought by a vulture fund, locking local people out of the market. Sinn Fein will stop Vulture funds buying up family homes.

A local post office in Crumlin village has been place on the market for sale. Sinn Fein had proposed that Dublin City Council buy this site and develop as public housing for senior citizens or disabled adults. It is in a prime location in Crumlin Village which is close to all amenities, transport, shops, church, post office credit unions and other facilities. We will continue to campaign and support public housing in Crumlin

In general Housing for All is helping people get access to housing. In February 2024 alone 3,699 new homes were started with Revenue citing 46,101 Help to Buy claims nationally (9,551 alone in Dublin). This is a successful initiative in terms of supporting first time buyers get a new home and must be retained. It may now be time to explore whether this tax break should be extended beyond just new builds.

In terms of expanding the supply social and social affordable housing across Dublin City key practices must be adhered to:

• Part V planning conditions since 2021 requiring 20% of developments to provide for social & social affordable housing must be strictly adhered to. Ideally the delivery of social & social affordable housing should be front loaded in multistage projects ensuring the City Council has access to housing supply as early as possible.
• Increased direct development by the City Council and the Land Development Agency. This seems to be increasing with large projects such as Bluebell Waterways, Donore project and Cherry Orchard. In addition, the LDA has €978 of a €5.1 billion overall housing budget to source the strategic sites to progress direct state building.

If elected I intend to support all social and social affordable projects provided, they are well planned taking account for the wider needs of sustainable community development. These developments are not just housing but new or regenerating communities. They need all the inputs for successful community development including education, sports facilities, and core public services.

I will call for a prohibition on Dublin City Council selling public land to private developers. Too much land has been given over to developers for private houses and apartments to be built on. These homes are so expensive that local people cannot afford to buy them. I will also be pushing for the establishment of a state construction company that won’t be lining the pockets of private developers who Fianna Fail and Fine Gael promote and protect. The state construction company should be tasked with developing vacant and state land for social housing.

For my 13 years on the Council, I have always stood for public housing on public land. Historically speaking, 22% of all housing was built by local authorities. The local authority estates were built by workers for workers. We should return to this model, and I argue for it at every opportunity.

We need the state to build more houses, but it is important we build the right types of houses. We have a disastrous lack of three, four homes We need to build apartments and houses that reflect the need out there.

Most importantly we need to take the profit making and price gouging out of our housing model. We need a state construction company to build the housing we need. It needs to be delivered on a scale that not only houses those on the housing list, but also so we can raise the income threshold to €50,000 for a single person and €75,000 for a couple. We need a Vienna type Model that allows all ordinary workers and those in need to avail of public housing that creates cohesive and sustainable mixed income communities with security of tenure for life.

I will continue to fight on the council for this model of mixed income public housing, built by workers for workers and those in need, there should be no place for the massive profits and price gouging from big developers and landlords. We need a housing model that exists to house people who need homes, not for companies to make money out of.

The number of new houses and apartments built in the city is increasing. Last year approximately 33,000 new housing units were commenced which is up 17% than the previous years. The numbers will be larger this year but we need to get towards 50,000 commencements each year. Some of the measures introduced in the Planning Bill will speed up the construction of new units as the planning process can be too slow. There also needs to be recognition that government needs to subsidise social and affordable housing in Dublin to a higher extent than other parts of the country as the cost of such units in Dublin is considerably higher than elsewhere.

Dampness and mould are extremely common problem in both DCC and private rented properties. It can take a long time for the council to actually come out and do repairs. In private rented, it obviously depends on each landlord but I think there is a conception out there among renters that a landlord would not show great urgency.

There needs to be regeneration of the flats complexes around Dublin. I have engaged with residents of Rathmines Avenue and Grove Road flats about this in the past and their concerns. These complexes but I'm sure many others too have been neglected for far too long.

People should not have to live in damp, mouldy or unmaintained homes. We would prioritise those homes in greatest need of repair and reduce waiting lists for basic maintenance.

Summary: Dublin City Council to set better standards; 1-month turnaround on repairs for social housing; Bye-laws to introduce penalties for private landlords leaving housing in disrepair for longer than a month

I want to see a 1 month service-level agreement (SLA) in place for any substandard conditions or maintenance issues in social housing with fines on Dublin City Council for not keeping housing up to standard. Allowing people who are supported by the State, especially vulnerable people who often have health conditions in the areas I seek to represent in Crumlin and Rathmines, to live in poor housing is a relic of Dickensian novels.

I want to see similar bye-laws passed for landlords in the Dublin City Council area - high penalties for breaching housing regulations or leaving any housing in disrepair for longer than a month. Again, our motto should be “improve it or lose it”, with the ultimate penalty being a compulsory purchase order on the property if it’s not brought to standard in good time.

Lastly, I want Dublin City Council to set better standards for accommodation being built in the future. We should have more appropriate space regulations, in particular storage space in apartments, light, ventilation, and insulation. It’s the 21st century - a century that will be dominated by climate and energy issues - and too much of our housing stock isn’t up to scratch.

When it comes to social housing, the answers are clear: we need to see more renovation and refurbishment, without unnecessary disruption of tenants. It is a longstanding issue that we see commitments to do works on social housing, only for there to be long delays. That is just not fair on Dublin City Council tenants who are living with subsidence, mould and other issues. Locally, in conjunction with Ivana Bacik TD, I have become used to getting holding responses when following up on promised and planned works to renovate. Those are debates for the council chamber and I will continue to follow those up.

Upkeep when it comes to individual homes – whether they house HAP or RAS tenants, or someone who is wholly in the private rented sector – can be a less visible issue. Yet, it is still the job of Dublin City Council to ensure that they are kept in reasonable condition. We know that often tenants do not want to make a complaint to the Residential Tenancies Board because they fear reprisal in the form of an eviction notice. That is why a proactive council is so important. There needs to be more inspections but also more enforcement. Figures we obtained in Labour show that in the first three quarters of 2023, Dublin City Council completed 5,449 inspections. Of that number, we saw 2,365 improvement letters issued, but only two prohibition notices served. Ensuring that DCC is chasing up landlords who flout the rules is the very least that renters should be able to expect. In Britain, following the death of a child whose home was left to fall into disrepair, we saw the passage of ‘Awaab’s Law’, which allows all renters in any form of social housing to take legal action for a breach of contract if housing standards fall below a minimum level. With the massive reliance on private landlords through HAP now, that is perhaps something that we should look at introducing here. Clearly enforcement by both DCC and the RTB is too weak.

People should not have to live in damp, mouldy or unmaintained homes. Locally many maintenance complaints I have received have been about delays in essential maintenance being carried out. As a result of the privatisation of many aspects of public housing maintenance, bureaucratic delays occur, with tenants awaiting private contractors to carry out essential work. Sinn Fein has proposed significant increases in Government funding for Councils to maintain, refurbish and retrofit Council homes.

Many in my area are waiting years for retrofitting to take place. Relations of senior citizens have remarked to me that their aged parents will be dead before the retrofit takes place. Not good enough for anyone especially our vulnerable and senior citizens. These delays are commonplace and are a feature on the door step during this campaign.

Standard of Rental Housing Stock: In terms of improving our housing stock I think that retrofitting is essential to maintain all properties both in the private and social rental sector. Census 2022 states there are 513,704 occupied rental properties nationwide divided:

• 333,632 Private Landlord
• 153,192 Local Authority
• Housing Body 29,880

I intend to promote all local authority retrofitted programs to maintain and improve the standard of all social rental stock. 

Availability of Social Rental: Driving supply of social housing is covered in earlier questions but the advent of the Cost Rental model which limits rents to 25% below market levels for qualifying participants is something that I intend to strongly support if elected. This is a new style of housing solution in Ireland and could be very effective in protecting families who are in vulnerable private rental situations. 

Availability of Private Rental: Private rental accommodation is vitally important in the cities housing mix. Increasing the supply of well-regulated good quality rental accommodation is essential for the city. While this is a multi-faceted challenge involving tenancy rights, rent pressure zones, incentives for new landlords and the type of accommodation permitted by planning permission I think that a practical medium-term policy for the City Council is to intensively address vacancy using the grant regime already in place via the Department of Housing.

There is a variety of rental accommodation in the City Council area that has up to €70k in vacancy and dereliction grants available to it. In addition, there are Sustainable Energy Ireland retrofitting grants available. If elected I want to ensure that the City Council has the most proactive and dynamic approach to using and distributing these funds in the country. This is with the aim of increasing supply and improving quality of rental accommodation.

I will be seeking for the home retrofitting insulation upgrade work to be carried out immediately to social housing across the constituency. With particular attention paid to flats complexes such as Rathmines Avenue Flats and Seagull House where black mould is a constant problem and detrimental to the health of the residents. This will also have a positive environmental action.

On the wider issue of maintenance I will be calling for DCC to increase the number of people directly employed to carry out maintenance. Once an adequate number of people have been employed, DCC should move away from outsourcing maintenance to private contractors. In relation to private rental accommodation DCC and the RTB should be given the enhanced powers to hold landlords to account where they rent out sub-standard accommodation.

I work extensively with issues from private and council tenants. The reality is that Dublin City Council’s policy of outsourcing much of its construction and maintenance has failed. I continue to argue that the Council should expand its operations so that we have the staff to properly maintain and improve our existing housing stock.

We also need a national campaign to retrofit all our buildings, but most importantly our existing public housing. Retrofitting all of 2,690 Dublin council houses would cost €83 million, for reference Ireland took in €22 billion extra in corporate taxes last year. We have the money, but the Government does not have the political will to do it. Their current plan is 14-year program to retrofit council houses, this could take significantly longer.

For private renters we need serious improvements to renters’ rights and security of tenure. This must include a permanent no-fault eviction ban, greater protections from poor housing conditions and proper rent controls. The Residential Tenancy Board (RTB) needs to be expanded to properly enforce these new rights.

I think it’s necessary to make sure that houses are more environmentally friendly by ensuring they are property insulated and that heat is preserved. Many houses and flats in Dublin 6 and 6W are old and badly insulated. I think conditions would be improved if they were retrofitted and upgraded so that they were more energy efficient. 

I think we need to bring the bins back into public ownership. I also think we could do with more public bins in certain areas as well as bring centres.

Summary: Increase cleaning resources; More public bins and more dog bins; Bringing waste services back into public ownership through a small increase in property tax; Dog wardens increased to crack down on dog fouling.

Dublin City has about 40% fewer public bins (just over 3,000 today) than it had in 2011 (5,000). All of its waste services have been privatised since then, but its budget is about twice the size. So taxpayers are double paying for worse services.

As much as no one likes paying more taxes, I support the position of the Social Democrats in last year’s budget to fund an increase to cleaning services and expanded cleaning crews through a moderate increase (i.e. an average of ~50 euro per year) to the local property tax.

This would raise about €14.5 million to fund more extensive street cleaning, more public bins and more dog bins, serviced regularly by council maintenance crews, who do an exceptional job given the lack of resources. They were out within hours after the riots last year and I’ve been really impressed with them, but they need more funding to do more regular work.

I’d also like to see waste services come back into public ownership, so taxpayers aren’t double funding waste collection.

Dublin City Council has only 2 dog wardens in the city while the dog population has exploded after Covid. I’d like to see the dog warden department expand to deal with dog fouling and dog disturbances.

I also want to see higher on-the-spot fines imposed on illegal dumping or littering, including for people who don’t pick up after their dogs and create a major public sanitation problem. This may also help fund an expansion in services.

Undoubtedly, there are regular litterers disrupting the streetscape in Dublin. However, the privatisation of waste collection services and urban wildlife like foxes and seagulls undoubtedly also have exacerbated those issues. In fairness, council staff work hard to clean up the streets, but the problem is really pervasive and seems to have become worse, notwithstanding the great contribution of tidy towns organisations and groups like the Friends of the Grand Canal. I would like to see Dublin City Council examine how commercial waste is collected. Working with businesses, I believe that we can find another way of managing waste, which does not involve plastic bags being left outside for hours, only to be pulled apart by foxes and birds. In other jurisdictions, I am aware of systems where all businesses in a particular area would use the same, large containers for collecting waste. Whatever the solution, it needs to be workable so including businessowners is key. Ultimately, they stand to benefit from the areas around their business becoming cleaner and tidier.

For litterers, the solution has to lie in better enforcement and more roles appointed, such as park wardens. In the Oireachtas, the Labour Party – and Labour Senator Mark Wall, in particular – did great work in seeing legislation passed to allow for local authorities to better use CCTV footage to identify those repeat offenders when it comes to fly tipping, littering and dumping, and to facilitate prosecution, where appropriate. It is unfortunate but a small number of people can spoil our neighbourhoods for us all. Across the country, we estimate that local authorities are wasting an average of €90 million per year on clean ups. Aside from being an insult to tidy towns and community leaders who work so hard to preserve the environment, there are so many better ways that money could be spent on proactive initiatives. I am thinking of new cycle lanes, creation of more community spaces and events, housing, etc.

In terms of bin collection, Labour has long supported Dublin City Council taking back control. The current state of affairs is causing real issues for residents and I regularly hear complaints about this. Remunicipalising collection of waste is something which should receive attention. That role should never have been removed from the Council and we see now how many complexities are associated with bringing it back. I understand that doing so may require legislation from the Oireachtas to avoid legal challenge by existing private operators. It is a real shame but Dublin city councillors need to take a lead in keeping this on the agenda. That is something I will continue to prioritise.

Sinn Fein councillors on Dublin City Council have been active and successful in getting agreement on Dublin City Council to bring bins and waste services back into public ownership. As legislation is required for this hugely important issue, our colleague Darren O'Rourke [TD] is working at Committee level to bring legislation forward. I will continue this work in Dublin city Council if elected. Dog fouling is a very annoying issue for local people. I have asked Dublin City Council to improve signage, bins and enforcement.

Post pandemic there are several parts of the city that are showing ‘wear and tear’ plus dog litter while not a national issue is certainly prevalent is many public spaces.

While the general presentability of the city centre is probably tied toward a need for revitalisation post pandemic, the dog litter issue does have legislation that if enforced creates a financial disincentive for dog owners that do not deal with their own pet’s litter. On the assumption that a very high proportion of dog owners are conscious in dealing with litter, more enforcement of the Litter Pollution Act will address the issue with owners who are not as compliant.

I want to introduce a designated dog area into some of the local parks in the Crumlin Kimmage and Rathmines areas. This will allow dog owners to safely allow their dogs off the lead with bins provided to clean up after their dogs. I would also call for a major campaign by DCC in relation to responsible dog ownership. The aim is to make it socially unacceptable for dog poo to be left on the street.

On the wider issue of rubbish I believe that refuse collection should be taken back into public ownership and the rates should be scrapped. This would prevent illegal dumping in the area and incentivise the public to sustainably manage their waste.

First and foremost, we need to take our waste collection services back into public hands. The privatisation of bins has been a disaster for Dublin, the people living here and the waste workers. I played a major role in, and was endorsed by, the local Anti-Bin Tax campaigns and I was summoned to the High Court by Greyhound for defending the union workers that were locked out when they did not accept pay cuts. I have not stopped fighting for the re-municipalisation of bins and see this as very much unfinished business.

Taking our bins back under council control would expand waste collection of public bins, make private bin collections more convenient and more affordable, improve pay and conditions for waste workers, and stop the impetus for illegal dumping.

With regards to dog fouling, at the March area committee I submitted the following motion: “Motion 13 from Councillor Pat Dunne This area committee once again notes that dog fowling continues to be a huge problem in our parks, footpaths, and greens. We note that the problem is caused by a minority of dog owners. These dog owners need to be named and shamed. We call upon all relevant sections in Dublin City Council to step up actions to tackle this problem.”

DCC management response was weak citing GDPR legislation, but I will continue to pursue this demand. 

As a councillor I have asked for signs to be put up for dog owners to ensure that they pick up their dog poo because it is quite a significant issue for children and their parents. If a child steps on dog poo they will then bring it into school or home. It also is potentially very dangerous to a child’s health. I think we need more dog wardens and the imposition on the spot fines for those who failed to comply with this law. 

We need to encourage DCC to Compulsory Purchase, where practical, and return to use derelict properties alongside increased utilisation of the Buy and Renew scheme. We would also request monthly updates to increase the collection of the Derelict Sites Levy and to speed up the return of vacant social homes.

Summary: “Improve it or lose it” on dereliction; Increase the vacancy tax to 10% funding a refurbishment fund; Bring council owned vacant and derelict properties back into use within 1 year.

There is no excuse for vacancy and dereliction during a housing crisis. Zero. Unfortunately the majority of the actions required to deal with this blight in our city need to be authorised by the central government to be actioned. However, I want to see several measures here, with the overall philosophy being one of penalising those that make our city worse.

Firstly, I want a policy of “improve it or lose it” on dereliction, with a compulsory purchase order issued by DCC if a property is not brought up to basic housing standards within 12 months.

Secondly, I want a vacancy tax increased in DCC to 10% of the estimated property value (not the commercial property rate), beyond the rate of property value inflation. And I want that rate to double for every year a property lies vacant, and a compulsory purchase order issued after 2 years.

Thirdly, I want all vacant and derelict properties owned by Dublin City Council, one the largest owners in the city, to be brought back into use within 1 year, with a financial penalty to the Council if that’s not delivered.

Fourthly, I want these measures to fund a grants and low-interest loan scheme for refurbishment of properties in the DCC area, to help incentivise owners to invest in those properties and bring them back into use.

There are other national issues I’m in support of like a referendum on the right to housing to deal with the thorny legal question of balancing the public good with property rights, as well as the expedition of legal cases related to properties in rent pressure zones, particularly those in probate. However, those are well beyond our jurisdiction on DCC.

Labour has been working really hard on tackling vacancy and dereliction, in particular of residential buildings. Government policy on vacancy and dereliction is clearly not working; the evidence is plain to see around Dublin. My postman has told me of the 100s of empty buildings he passes on his shift – that is only a snapshot of the true scale of the problem. In my ward, ironically, there are buildings covered in cladding for as long as I can remember beside the Construction Industry Federation.

Vacancy and dereliction not only provide communities of much needed housing, they also exacerbate antisocial behaviour and make our streets less safe. It is a lot more expensive and arduous to bring a building back into use after it has fallen into dereliction, rather than just keeping it in use. So, it is worth spending a bit of money to save money too. Despite there no longer being staffing shortages of vacancy officers in Dublin City Council, clearly things are not working. Lots needs to be done at a national level, such as increasing the vacant homes tax and resourcing local authorities. But there is work we can do on Dublin City Council too.

One power that Dublin City Council has is its compulsory purchase powers. I would like to see those used more. Although the process is long, it has the dual benefit of reducing vacancy and increasing our stock of public land to deliver on things like public housing and green spaces.

Moreover, Dublin city councillors need to offer local leadership to use the mechanisms which are already in place. There are fewer than 200 units currently on Dublin City Council’s vacant and derelict sites registers for the entire Dublin City Council area – that is a fiction, clearly. So, why don’t we use what’s already in existence to change that? In 2023, I hosted a public meeting on the topic of vacancy and dereliction, alongside Ivana Bacik TD and Cllr Dermot Lacey.

In addition to discussing what policy changes are needed, we used that meeting to establish a local campaign, whereby we leveraged the enormous local knowledge out there to add sites to the vacancy and dereliction registers. Everybody knows the empty sites within their own areas. Thus, we reached out to different neighbourhoods, extending an invitation to them to submit to us those empty buildings. We then collated those results and started submitting them to the council. Small actions like this empowers Dubliners to feel like they are making a change, and it also delivers the tangible result of bringing that vacancy to the attention of the council so that it can see those sites brought back into use.

Finally, there needs to be a fightback by councillors against the cutting of funds for conversion of vacant and derelict sites by the Department of Housing. We know that construction costs have gone up. Yet, often when new funding is announced by the Minister, it is a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Last year, the finance committee learned that the department of Housing had, once again, cut funding for those projects. The department used to fund the council’s conversion of these ‘voids’ to the tune of 65% of the total cost. That dropped down to 25%, and then to 20% last year. The end result of that is that the council will refurbish fewer sites than it did before – at a time when the housing crisis is getting worse. Dublin city councillors need to fight back against this – I want to continue to be a part of that fight.

Sinn Fein would encourage local authorities to compulsory purchase and return to use derelict properties alongside increased utilisation of the Buy and Renew scheme. We would request monthly updates to increase the collection of the Derelict sites levy and to speed up the return of vacant social homes.

Housing for All provides for this issue at a very high level. The Vacant Homes Tax has been increased to five times local property tax and grant support for revitalising a vacant or derelict property extends to €70k. This has generated 5,500 grant applications with 2,700 approvals. 

If elected I want to ensure that the City Council has the most proactive and dynamic approach to using and distributing these funds in the country.

In terms of wider urban regeneration in the city, if elected I intend to advocate for individual plans for the approximately 60 hectares of brownfield or dilapidated lands within the canal ring. Even if tangible projects do not emerge in the short term the effect of a clearer focus on the issue may at least stimulate action and incremental progress. 

I will be calling for a comprehensive audit to be carried out on vacant and derelict properties in Crumlin, Kimmage and Rathmines. A punitive tax should be applied to vacant and derelict property if not used within a specified period, to encourage owners of the property to put it back into use. Too many homes are lying idle during a housing crisis when a family could be living in it. DCC should be given strict deadlines on the time it takes them to turn their own vacant properties around. There are currently DCC houses left idle for months and in some cases even years.

The level of vacancy and dereliction in Dublin is totally immoral in such a deep housing emergency. I continue to encourage the Council to compulsorily purchase these buildings. I have proposed a 20% ‘use or lose it’ tax on vacant and derelict sites to stop speculation, end land hoarding, and encourage these sites to be sold to the Council for increased public housing and amenities construction.

As an Architectural Heritage Specialist, I am aware that there are too many empty buildings around the city. Many are empty for over 30 years but if they remain derelict for too long then they need to be put on the Derelict Sites list and the levies imposed on them need to be enforced. That may necessitate taking ownership of those derelict buildings if their owners refuse to tackle their vacancy and dereliction. 

We need to invest in the Gardaí, so we can have more Gardaí on our streets protecting communities. I regularly chat with Gardaí from Crumlin and Sundrive stations. They are under resourced and undermanned. We would introduce a public transport policing unit to ensure people can feel safe while using public transport. We would get to grips with the recruitment and retention crisis in the Gardaí to end the huge numbers resigning.

We also need to invest properly in youth intervention programmes to divert young people away from crime as early as possible.

Summary: More Garda presence; Investing in community and sports facilities; Improved facilities for rough sleepers; Safe injection facilities.

It’s really important to acknowledge that declines in public safety are multifaceted and often rooted long-term societal issues. My colleague Cllr Tara Deacy has been advocating for better public safety measures, including community engagement with at-risk youth since she was elected in 2019, and Covid has made things so much more difficult. Unfortunately those pleas fell on deaf ears, and were seeing the consequences of inaction now.

In the short-term, we need to invest in a more visible Garda presence on our streets, in particular in the city centre but also in public congregation spaces like shopping centres and parks and on public transport. People causing anti-social behaviour have to be held accountable for their actions.

But there are long-term things we need to do, as well, like investing in community and sports facilities, groups, and projects. Investment in younger people shouldn’t be a postcode lottery, and we need to make sure we’re investing most in the places where there's the most disadvantage. Diversion schemes have been enormously successful in some places but it requires funding and good management.

Additionally, we’re not seeing the level of investment required to help the rough sleepers in our capital city have enough safe emergency shelter or people suffering from addiction. Primarily this is an egregious human rights issue, but it also can create a perception for people that the city centre is less inviting. Helping these people and investing in the services they need - including mental health and trauma centres - is in all our interests.

I’m also in favour of safe injection centres, in particular the one proposed at Merchant’s Quay, and I’d like to see more safe injection centres across the city so we’re reducing open drug use in the city, reducing drug addiction-fuelled anti-social behaviour, and reducing fatalities among those suffering from addiction.

I’d like to see these things funded by enhanced commercial rates specifically for multinational corporations based in Dublin. Those who have profited greatly from our society should be part of making it safer for everyone.

I have already spoken about the need for better transport infrastructure and for the need to end the scourge of dereliction – both of those can play a huge role in improving safety and people’s perception of safety.

However, there is also the elephant in the room which is policing. No one wants to see Dublin overpoliced. However, the presence of community gardaí can vastly improve matters. I am inundated with queries about crime from all around my area – people having bicycles stolen from their front gardens, problems with violence and intimidation in public parks. One of the really important fora we have as Councillors to feed in localised spikes in criminal activities is the Joint Policing Committee (run by Dublin City Council), where public representatives can meet with local Garda representatives.

Unfortunately, there have been moved by the Department of Justice to get rid of these meetings, replacing them with a much broader ‘community safety partnership’ system. These would include just seven councillors. This cannot go ahead; we cannot see more power taken away from Councillors, who are democratically elected to represent their areas and the people living in them. There’s no doubt that there may be more efficient ways to run things but local democracy is vital, and Councillors must retain a strong voice so that we can convey the needs of our constituents to the powers that be.

Another thing that I have been working on is a safety audit of my local electoral area. Again, my approach to representing people involves engaging with them, finding out what is causing problems, and then elevating those issues so we can find solutions. People are very forthcoming with their concerns and ideas. Some of that work has manifested in the form of a motion submitted by Labour Councillors on Dublin City Council in February. Focusing on violence against women, it involves a raft of measures to improve safety in the City and, vitally, to support those people who have been targeted or victimised. The motion includes:  

• Incorporating safety needs in public realm enhancement and the installation of new infrastructure and housing.
• Incorporating safety of women and others into budgetary decisions on things like public lighting, transport and emergency accommodation.
• Putting an end to harmful advertising which might perpetuate a culture of violence, particularly against women.
• Organising educational programmes in our libraries and community buildings.
• Using JPCs to promote direct and uninterrupted access to specialised, secure and comprehensive support services for victims of gender-based violence, including domestic and sexual violence.
• Providing sensitivity training to Council staff working in homeless services, first responder services, and in housing management, so that they are equipped to support people through domestic violence situations, female genital mutilation, etc.

  While safety in public remains of huge concern, the reality is that some of the worst violence in our community is suffered in the home. Dublin City Council has a strong role in the provision of refuge space for people fleeing domestic violence. These measures are clearly needed to protect people and I will continue to push for their implementation, now that our Labour motion, proposed by Cllr Alison Gilliland, has been passed.

Sinn Fein has proposed to invest in Gardai, deal with recruitment and retention so that our communities feel safer. We would introduce a public transport policing unit to ensure people feel safe using public transport. I participate in Dublin 12 Safety Forum, which brings together gardai, local sports groups, residents associations and local interested people to discuss and put forward solutions to safety concerns of citizens.

Public safety is top of mind in Dublin City for obvious reasons. Regardless of specific policing policy or programs the starting point to develop a safer city is Garda numbers. While Garda recruitment has significantly improved in the Garda Training Colleges most recent intake (Up to 5,000 from 1,000 to 6,300) every effort needs to be made to sustain this. Initiatives should include:

• Finding alternative routes for potential recruits to join the force. By this I mean initiatives similar to raising to Garda entry age from 35 to 50 years.
• Ensuring that the Garda recruit allowances are sufficient for a new recruit to complete training. This may be particularly prevalent if an older trainee has dependents and family financial commitments.
• Initiatives around cost of living and accommodation that allow younger members of the force sustain a career in Dublin.

I volunteered as a sports coach in the area for over 25 years. I firmly believe that Dublin City Council should make substantial investments in social, leisure and sports facilities for young people in the area. This will give young people a prosocial outlet for their spare time and reduce the risk of them causing harm or being harmed while out on the streets. I have met with representatives from local sports clubs and the needs of the clubs in the area are not currently being met. We should also look at improving street lighting. This would act as a deterrent to people who engage in anti-social behaviour. It would also have the impact of making people feel safer.

I represent my area on the Dublin 12 Drugs Task Force and the Dublin 12 Safety Forum. I work very closely with Crumlin and Sundrive garda station. I have always supported increases in community policing as a way of tackling crime and anti-social behaviour from the ground up and in the heart of the communities most affected by it. We also need dedicated public transport policing for the trains, buses, and the Luas.

The wider issue is the affect rising poverty and deprivation is having on Dublin. We know issues such as drugs and anti-social behaviour increase with poverty. Dublin needs a policy that not just increases community and frontline policing, but targets the root of crime by tackling poverty, supporting families and communities, increasing addiction services, and raising the standard of living for everyone.

We need to have more Gardai on the streets as unfortunately at present people do not feel safe at night-time in the city centre. In the city centre people are openly taking drugs and it creates a very intimidating and threatening atmosphere for people who are lawfully in the city who want to enjoy their capital city.

More investment in public transport is crucial but authorities also have to work with local communities. When the 17 bus route was removed a few months ago residents from a significant chunk of Crumlin lost their connection to Crumlin Village. This has been extremely devastating for elderly people who depended on that connection to go to the Post Office, Credit Union or mass in the village. the 83 bus is expected to follow which current serves a number of senior citizen's complexes, if/when it goes it will have a massive impact for those people.

Summary: Pushing for more ambitious public transport planning e.g. Metrolink West; Increasing bus frequency to ensure Busconnects is successful; Park and ride facilities along M50; Expanding the Dublin Bike Scheme; Increasing parking penalties for illegal parking.

About 100 years ago, Dublin was covered in trams. There was one to Rathgar and to Terenure. If we’re serious about tackling climate change, we have to make green public transport a high priority in the development of Dublin. I’m particularly in favour of bringing the Metrolink west from Charlemont to the South Central part of the city: Harold’s Cross, Kimmage, and Terenure. The Dublin Bay South branch of the Social Democrats made that submission to the Metrolink plan. The current plan of putting the Metrolink on the capacity of the existing Green Luas line seems like an imbalanced public transport plan that will have poor development repercussions.

I’m delighted to see more electric buses from Dublin bus, and I want that transformation of the fleet to continue. I’d also like to see more bus frequency on bus corridors.

I’m in favour of the majority of Bus Connects changes, but am also conscious that traffic congestion on roads adjacent to major bus routes will need to be dealt with, in particular with traffic calming and proper planning of park and ride facilities so residential cul de sacs aren’t overloaded with commuter cars as they are now starting to be in areas off Kimmage Road Lower and Rathgar Road.

I also want to see the Dublin Bike Scheme expanded across the city, but in particular west of Portobello as far as Rathmines, Terenure, Crumlin and Drimnagh.

I’d like these things to be funded by drastic increases to parking fees, parking fines, and parking enforcement penalties. The impunity with which some people park their cars in a European capital continues to completely stun me.

The planning system for new public transport infrastructure can be very protracted. Dublin City Council needs to ensure that communities feel listened to but should also avoid undue delay as well. As a councillor, I would always ensure that Dublin City’s Development Plan would include initiatives that improve public transport infrastructure

Public transport operators should take their responsibility to local communities more seriously. There should be proper upkeep of transport shelters, and they must be accessible for disabled people too. The Ccuncil has a role as well; new bus stops and cycle lanes should be ‘disability proofed’ at a planning stage to ensure that no one’s safety is put at risk, and to ensure that new bus stops and paths can be used by everyone. I would also like to see the Council more stringently insist that waiting stops for public transport should be covered, and should have more seating too. All those tweaks in the planning system would improve accessibility.

Also related to planning is the need for new commercial developments and larger housing developments to also have allocation for better public transport. When it comes to local opposition to some new projects, I think ensuring that those sorts of resources are added, which can be of benefit to everyone, would help to allay some of those concerns.

More generally, improving public transport in Dublin requires honesty and engagement by public representatives. Since joining the council, I have learned that getting projects to completion is aided by engaging with people at an early stage, but also by being truthful to residents about the nature of what is being proposed! As a councillor, keeping people up to date and taking their queries seriously is something that I have always and will continue to do.

Bus Connects attempts to improve bus services have impacted bus users locally negatively. The changes to the 83 and 18 bus services has left many bus users in the Crumlin area without services they had used previously. We have been representing these local concerns to both Bus Connects and NTA, with varying degrees of success. We will continue to make these representations until the essential bus services are returned. This has seriously affected many in our area, in particular senior citizens and those with mobility problems, cutting them off from essential services and amenities along the old route.

There are some aspects of Dublin’s public transport network that have improved in recent times. At the time of writing, I have successfully, conveniently, and very affordability used the new S2 Bus Service to attend a number of Republic of Ireland matches in the Aviva stadium. However, Dublin needs an overhaul to have a fully ‘fit for purpose’ transport network for the 21st century. While not in the remit of a city councilor I think it should include:

• A definitive decision on the Metrolink with provision for a Southwest corridor prioritized before the revamping of the existing Luas links to Cherrywood.
• Offsetting some of the adverse effects of recent bus routes changes by setting up micro services that meet the needs of residents who now have difficulty accessing centers such as Crumlin Village for essential services.
• Finding improved multimedia methods to communicate proposed public transport changes. One of the issues with proposed bus route changes is that even the most engaged people find them difficult to decipher. This limits constructive feedback and in turn community ‘buy in’.
• Developing public transport is a very long-term process. I think considering the scale of new house building on the outskirts of the city and surrounding counties it very important to scale for this now.

Free and frequent public transport needs to be introduced to encourage people out of their cars and free up the streets from traffic. While I welcome many aspects of Busconnects there are still many areas of concern for residents in Crumlin, Kimmage and Rathmines. I have been working with local residents to address their concerns.

After I was contacted by residents in Crumlin about the removal of a bus service between Armagh Rd and Crumlin Village we collected 2,000 signatures for a petition which we then submitted to the NTA. I am glad to say that recent correspondence from the NTA has stated that the service will be reintroduced in the coming weeks. I am using this approach in other parts of the constituency where I hope for similar positive outcomes.

From the start have opposed the ethos behind the Bus(dis)Connects scheme. We need a public transport system that ties communities together and is accessible to all, not just to get people in and out of town for work. Public transport is a public service we all pay for, not a service just for employers to get their workers in to work. I am a daily user of Dublin buses having ceased driving a private car many years ago.

We need proper investment in public transport. I have seen too much of Bus Connects reducing bus services in my area while at the same time making it harder to get around by car. We do need to reduce car use, this needs to come through massive investment in buses and the Luas and making public transport free, not by making it harder for people to live their lives while reducing bus services. That just makes no sense.

I will continue to work with my community to improve public transport and defend existing bus routes. We need city-wide investment for a public transport system that is free, accessible, and frequent if we want to reduce car use.

I have advocated for many years that we need to continue the Metrolink from the City Centre out towards the southwest of the city to places such as Harold’s Cross, Terenure and Kimmage. We also need more buses, in particular for School Bus Systems in South Dublin, as they are in North Dublin.

Footpath resurfacing should be a big focus for the new council to improve mobility. They have been left unmaintained in a lot of areas for a very long time.

Summary: Segregated bike lanes; Pedestrianisation of city core; Repaving of footpaths and proper treatment of tree roots; Increased number of safe pedestrian crossings; Expanded Dublin bike scheme; Traffic calming measures.

I want Dublin, and the area stretching from Drimnagh to Dartry that I’m seeking to represent, to have the same quality of life and infrastructure as you’d find in any other European capital city. That’s the standard we should expect and it’s the standard the citizens of Dublin deserve.

I want the type of safe, properly segregated, and well-maintained bike paths they have in Amsterdam here in Dublin. How transformative would that be for the physical and environmental health of our city?

I want pedestrianisation of the core parts of our city to continue, with green spaces and biodiversity cherished in them, so we can have the kinds of public squares people relish in Paris or Berlin.

I want footpaths to be repaved and unwieldy tree roots to be properly managed on them like they are in Madrid. I want our roads properly maintained and resurfaced like they are in Copenhagen. This is a huge accessibility issue across the city.

I will be advocating for the introduction of congestion charges for larger vehicles and for non-resident vehicles, as ratified by the Cabinet recently, like they have in London.

I want proper well-lit pedestrian crossings in high traffic areas, particularly on school routes like near the Harold’s Cross Educate Together, and at major crossings like near the KCR or along Crumlin and Clogher roads. Good zebra crossings, recently authorised for wider rollout, may be a good first step.

I want more traffic calming measures, especially near schools like Harold’s Cross National School in Larkfield, Presentation Primary School in Terenure, or the Marist Primary School on Clogher Road, to be put in place urgently in the interest of school goer safety.

I want green spaces, trees, and flower beds expanded across the city, in particular along places like Stannaway Road in Kimmage, which has some of the lowest density of trees anywhere in Ireland.

I especially want to advocate for an expanded Dublin Bikes scheme as far as Terenure, Rathgar, Crumlin and Kimmage.

Residents of Kimmage/Rathmines might have seen me around, cycling on my cargo bike – I do about 50km a week! So, I am all too aware of the need for safer cycling and walking infrastructure.

For cyclists, I favour creating more protected cycle paths, particularly near schools. I would also like to see existing cycle lanes maintained. When the surface falls into disrepair, it can force people to cycle out onto the road, or can cause dangerous falls. Similarly, maintenance of paths is an issue for pedestrians. Potholes and cracks are trip hazards, and the safety risks are even more for people with visual impairments, wheelchair users, those pushing buggies, and so on. I am aware also that overhanging branches and street clutter create risks for those more vulnerable road users too.

When it comes to improving life for pedestrians, I would also like to see more benches and seating areas in Dublin. It seems simple but, often, there is no way to sit down in public without spending money in a private business. We all need to support local cafes and restaurants, but that lack of public seating is patently unfair on older people, disabled people, and people with children.

The Labour Party is very proud of the role of former Lord Mayor Andrew Montague in delivering the Dublin Bikes scheme. Currently, there are no bicycle stations within my area of Kimmage-Rathmines. We have long called for expansion of the scheme, which has been so successful despite the naysayers at the time. Of course, in particular, I would love to see those stations installed in Kimmage-Rathmines!

When installing new cycling infrastructure, we need our more continuous and segregated bike lines for safety, for contra-flow cycle lanes, and for secure cycle stands in our urban villages and near schools.

As a councillor, I have also made countless representations to Dublin City Council and the Gardaí on the need to enforce traffic laws. Often, some of the biggest risks to us all is unsafe driver behaviour which is already prohibited, it’s just that the rules aren’t enforced. Aside from creating more infrastructure like cycle lanes, and supporting new pedestrianisation projects, we need to see the rules and regulations which are already in place prioritised too! There can be no flouting of road traffic laws, especially when we have seen such a tragic increase in fatalities on our roads this year.

For pedestrians and cyclists roads and footpaths must be maintained. Locally improvements were to be made to a stretch along the canal. Some of the footpaths have been left unfinished , unusable and dangerous for pedestrians, wheelchair users and people wheeling buggies, as a result of a contractor suddenly going out of business.

Dublin City Council should directly maintain roads and footpaths. I will continue to follow up this issue with Dublin City Council. Traffic calming measures, traffic ligh sequencing and road speed must be addressed, and enforcement is necessary to improve road safety and encourage pedestrian and cyclist safety on our roads and streets.

I think that the City Council needs to continue to advance its aim to have 310 km Active Travel Network citywide. During the new City Council term that is due to increase to approximately 140km. I think from a City Council perspective there will be situations where it will require innovative solutions to cater for active travel that is in close proximity to necessary car and freight transport.  

As a cyclist, I would like to see an increase in protected cycle lanes so that cyclists can feel safer. Cycle lanes need to be introduced in conjunction with free public transport so that traffic is reduced significantly and road space is made available. A reduction in car dependency will also reduce emissions and the harm that emissions cause to people. However we will only ever reduce car use if a reliable alternative public transport system is in place. Children should also feel safe while walking and cycling on the streets and a reduction in traffic will encourage them to do so. This will have the added advantage of giving children additional exercise.

I have worked hard to bring improvements into my area for footpaths and cycle lanes, but this needs to work together with a better public transport system. There is no point building bike lanes if we are just squeezing everyone together on the road because we have cut bus routes.

This needs to be included in a wider program to make Dublin easier, more accessible and cheaper to get around. Public transport, walking, and cycling needs to be made a cheaper, more attractive option.

We need to encourage walking by developing pedestrian routes into the city centre along roads with less traffic. We also need to improve cycling infrastructure and ensure that cycling is safe for everyone, particularly children who want to cycle to school. 

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. I think we need to try to engage with people and communities who express concerns because ultimately if we don't we allow more unscrupulous voices to step into that vacuum. Arson attacks on accommodation for asylum seekers have no place in our society and I condemn these attacks.

When public services falter and wealth inequality rises, as they have in Ireland over the last decade, many people become disillusioned with politics and look for others to blame, and minorities are usually the easy groups to pick on. Medium to long-term, the best possible counter to neo-fascism is strong public policy responses to solve the core problems in housing, health, and community development. Short-term, we need more community integration and support mechanisms to ensure integration and to avoid disinformation and segregation.

I utterly condemn neo-fascism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, and all criminal acts against any person on the basis of their race, gender, sexuality, national origin, or immigration status. Standing up against the rise of neo-fascism is the biggest reason I entered politics, and I am determined to undermine it, prevent it, and do all I can to counter it through strong progressive public representation and public policy.

Contrary to claims by certain groups, the diversity of our city has improved our society, economy, community and culture. The majority of people who have moved to Dublin are critical for the success of many of our public services and businesses in our healthcare sector, hospitality, tourism, and tech sector.

Why we are seeing unrest: I think it’s worth acknowledging that history has taught us that when public services falter and wealth inequality rises, as they have in Ireland over the last decade, many people become disillusioned with politics and look for others to blame, and minorities are usually the easy groups to pick on.

At its root, the growing popularity of the far right is often accelerated by a breaking of the social contract on things like housing and making people feel left out of the economy or society. The best possible counter to neo-fascism is strong public policy responses to solve the core problems in housing, health, and community development, and that’s why I’m so exasperated by this government’s failings.

What we need to do: I believe that major increases in housing and accommodation building will be required not just to meet housing demand among the current population but also for future population growth which will bring with it many economic, social and cultural benefits. Very practically, at a Dublin City Council level, I would like to see official representation groups formed for people from minority groups across the city - from racial minorities, LGBTQ+ minorities, national origin minorities, and religious minorities - so they can have a voice and an input to the public policies pursued at a local level. I’d like this modelled on the selection processes of the Citizens Assemblies.

I’d also like to see the hiring practices and quotas in Dublin City Council and the Dublin Metropolitan Gardaí result in more diverse and representative staff populations. I’d also like to see the continued and expanded city celebrations of different minority groups in the city such as Lunar New Year and Diwali. By celebrating each other and our diversity, I believe we can better understand one another and ultimately build a better city and country.

International protection: It’s worth emphasising that the government has not lived up to its obligations to those seeking international protection, in particular in shelter and adequate services, and the model has been privatised in a way that’s frankly a repugnant profiting off of the most vulnerable people in our society.

I want to see all migration centres nationalised and brought into public or non-profit ownership. I want adequate standards of care in line with human rights to be implemented at these centres. I want processing times to be reduced through adequate resourcing of the immigration services. And I want the vast majority of people coming to this country through refugee or asylum seeking status to be integrated as soon as possible into our society so that they can live a full life contributing to our communities and our economy.

Immigration - economic or otherwise - in my view is a great opportunity for economic and social revival of our towns and villages. We just have to do it the right way. Doing it the right way also means engaging with communities. And that’s not just consultation processes or public meetings, that is including the community in welcoming new people and building a community support mechanism to ensure integration and to avoid disinformation and segregation.

The rise of the far right is really concerning. I joined the Labour Party because of the party’s strong commitment to equality for everyone, regardless of birthplace, sexual orientation, gender, skin colour, or class. The diversity of Irish society is one of our strengths. Yet, there is no doubt that a minority of fringe extremists are trying to exploit people’s anxieties, or to exploit societal problems to make scapegoats of minorities.

On welcoming immigrants, I have been horrified at the recent spate of attacks on migrants, and on buildings rumoured to be earmarked for refugee accommodation. Of course, none of us can forget the horrendous destruction of public property during the riots on 23 November. The scale of the cleanup the following morning by Dublin City Council workers was so impressive, but it shouldn’t have been necessary. It’s so important that we provide shelter to those who come here seeking refuge. As a nation of emigrants, those are our values as Irish people. There isn’t an Irish family in the country without.

Many local people have stepped up to the mark, reached out and tried to ensure they can help those who come to Ireland to seek refuge. Where the Department has worked with local people there has been a welcome and an effort to ensure there is a space for men, women and children. Communities have also said they need additional services to help with their work, whether it is GP services or helping out schools which require extra resources. Where there is lack of resources, anger can often be misplaced.

The anger should be directed towards government for its failures. There should never be anger in any shape or form directed at those who are down on their luck in the same way that Irish people after the Famine went to other countries around the world to seek refuge, and new life. A small but highly vocal group of racists and bigots have attempted to stoke up fears about those coming here fleeing wars and seeking protection

Arson attacks on accommodation for asylum seekers have no place in our society.

In other countries across the EU this issue has been visible for longer than in Ireland. It has followed a path where a number of issues that seem unconnected at first become conflated together. For example, anti-immigrant and anti LGBTQ sentiment are separate issues. 

In my opinion it is vital that the state can stimulate well informed balanced debate around these issues so that criminality and misinformation can be isolated. I would be confident that much of the ‘othering’ that drives the ‘anti’ sentiments described in the question would be discredited.

Every public representative at every level has a duty to ensure that there is balanced debate whilst also protecting the rights of groups that suffer from discrimination.

I would work with local community groups in an effort to increase diversity and ensure that people from every background feels welcome. There is a lot of false information regarding immigrants and I have been working with the Drimnagh For All and other groups to help counter that false information. Sports clubs can play a pivotal role on the issue by helping to make new residents feel welcome in the area and by helping local residents overcome some of the fear that they have towards newly arrived immigrants. Special attention must also be made to ensure no level of hate or discrimination is acceptable against members of the LGBTQ+.

The far-right preys on problems that do exist: the housing crisis, the crisis in our health and public services, falling standards of living and rising costs. The far-right exploits these issues to push their own agenda, we need to starve them of the issues they exploit.

There are issues around policing, better protections for vulnerable communities, information and community support campaigns and regulating the giant social media companies making millions off the views the far-right attracts, but the only way we get the far-right out of communities is by tackling poverty, housing, and the public service crisis head on.

We are one of the richest countries in the world, the problem is how distribute our wealth and how we tax it. Ireland is now a country where working-class people pay high taxes for failing public services while the rich pay low-taxes and can afford the best private services. That needs to change.

What we need to remember is that the far-right offers our communities nothing. They have an agenda, and they will use the housing crisis and other issues to push it, but they don’t really care about the real-world issues people are facing.

Only a mass movement of workers, like we saw during the Rigth2Water campaign, can end the housing crisis, fix our public services, and give everyone a decent standard of living. The far-right would stand against that movement, they don’t want to improve this country, they just want to divide us.

I think we need to educate young people about accommodating others and respecting diversity. I also believe we need to recognise that Ireland has handled immigration very well to date but that some efforts need to be made to reduce the significant numbers that are applying for international protection at present. The significant increase in those numbers has made it extremely difficult for the government to provide accommodation for all asylum seekers.