There are several things we can and should be doing but my top three priorities would be:

• Build more social, cost rental and affordable housing. We need to hit our social housing targets. We have been underperforming on our social housing targets and this needs to change. Dublin City Council has had history of being able to build public housing, just stand on the junction of Golden Lane, Bride Street and Bull Alley in Dublin 2, you will find three corners of Dublin public housing that has been built to last and built to form communities, we need to go back to that. An example of this would be through the Oscar Traynor site, in the last council I was one of the councillors and sitting Lord Mayor on the Housing Strategic Policy Committee on the Oscar Traynor site. As the Lord Mayor at the time I established the working group that brought the various conflicting views on the project to bring us more affordable homes. The succeeding Lord Mayor Alison Gilliland and the other councillors on the committee were instrumental in making the final agreement happen. We continuously pushed the council management for more and eventually got agreement for 40% social, 40% cost rental and 20% affordable of 850 homes, a far better agreement than when we began. It is this approach we need to adopt to ensure we develop better housing in the city. We need more social, more cost rental and more affordable.
• Online reporting and enforcement of illegal full-time AirBnBs, which deprive the city of much-needed homes. AirBnB and similar companies are draining a lot of housing supplying into holiday lettings - the result is that we are putting tourists into our housing stock and our homeless into hotels! The council can and must take a more pro-active approach in using planning rules to control short terms let's, including facilitating online reporting. Equally a greater responsibility needs to be put on the companies themselves, we need legislation for this and councillors need government to do that, but we can work together to put pressure on government, we can work with management and other councils to build a coalition of local authorities to demand reform.
• Tackle the huge amount of vacant and derelict sites that we have in the city. Apart from the builds that are planned and in the works we also have a huge amount of derelict and vacant sites that can be repurposed. We have 166,000 vacant and derelict sites in the country, 12,000 of these are in our capital made of commercial and residential sites. A vast majority of these are commercial sites and this is why we need to look at expansion of the adaptive reuse scheme. As a member of the Housing SPC, we (councillors) work with the Adaptive Reuse Division of Dublin City Council on the commercial sites that are identified to be reuse, commercial on the ground floors with above shop living above. There has only been a number of properties being adapted and our job as councillors is to ensure we work with the management to expand the scheme as much as possible. In addition we need to ensure that we have a fit for purpose derelict and vacant site register that we are working off. As a Councillor I passed a motion for exactly that and even though the current derelict site list is still low, only 112 residential properties, it is higher than the 79 properties before the motion. I will also be pushing for the council management to put in proper procedures to collect the millions (6.8 million with one last report) owed from derelict site levies and be more amenable to issue compulsory purchase order of sites and properties that are derelict and vacant rather than leave that method as a last resort. Lastly as I and other councillors mentioned at previous council meetings we need more inspectors in the Croí Cónaithe (Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant) scheme, afterall if we are going to encourage the owners to refurbish vacant properties and government are providing the funds for such schemes then we need to be able to make the process as efficient as possible so the property can be put back into use.

    Other priorities would include: 

• Develop a new plan to develop space above shops for housing.
• Support more cost rental housing, where the rent you pay is based on the development cost. 
• Aim more resources at city council apprenticeships in housing maintenance, so that council-owned vacant properties are turned around quicker. 
• Maintain good-quality standards for housing, particularly in terms of warmth and energy efficiency.

One of the ways I would do it is ramp up the conversion of commercial property to apartments for social and affordable rental or sale. Recently, Dublin City Council acquired an office building in my electoral area, Dublin 4, and are turning them into affordable housing for local people to buy and rent.

Facilitation of community, safety, health and well-being of residents are not the goals of an exclusively profit led model of housing provision. But they should be the goal of our council. It is my view that Dublin City Council must take a more active role in the provision of social housing. We are beyond leaving it to the market.

I will advocate for the council to build and keep more stock in public hands. Long term leasing of social housing is wasteful and does not deliver long term housing solutions. Instead we should build more on public land and bring more housing into council hands. I will tirelessly advocate for this. 

I believe we should increase cost rental projects in Dublin and tackle dereliction through supporting the implementation of the Residential Zoned Land Tax legislation. 

The task of tackling housing in the capital will require the dedicated focus of the Oireachtas, statutory bodies, and Dublin City Council. The Planning and Development Bill that is currently going through the Oireachtas will see the consolidation of planning law. As things stand, our powers as councillors are limited. I eagerly await the finished legislation to see how the role of councillors may change in the planning process and will engage with any elements of it that can benefit the provision of housing in our city. 

I am only too aware of how difficult the situation is, as I am still living at home and know that it is going to take me a lot longer to be able to save for a mortgage. I know how much tougher it would be if I were trying to rent somewhere.

Firstly, I want a strategic shift in our approach to urban development, particularly on building height limits, especially in areas within the Grand and Royal Canals. We simply have to build upwards to optimize the limited space available. Adjusting height limits unlocks the potential for increased housing supply. It's about supply and demand – the higher we build, the more housing units we can deliver.

But, if we are building up, we must also provide ample amenities to enhance the quality of life. This can be done via innovative public-private partnerships, where housing developments are multifaceted and incorporate amenities within a single block. By integrating mixed-use zoning, we can create vibrant, inclusive neighbourhoods that cater to diverse needs and preferences.

Resolving the housing issue is my number one issue and always has been. As a councillor, I was the first person to successfully incorporate the 20% social and affordable housing requirement when it was stitched into the Docklands Development Plan. Government subsequently followed suit but reduced it to 10%. I believe we need to increase that requirement again.

I have initiated a local housing co-op that delivered new homes and, as a board member of an approved housing body, initiated more. I will continue to push for more of this and reform the decision making structures of the Department of Housing that causes so much delay.

We need to build more social, affordable, and cost [effective] rental homes. That is something I have constantly supported and will continue to do. I am presently working to deliver the new social and affordable housing on the Gulistan site in Rathmines and one other site in the area.

Fine Fáil & Fine Gael have encouraged and nurtured the hoarding of accommodation & land by vulture funds whilst we witness record numbers of homelessness, with the current stats recorded at 13,000 homeless and over 4,000 of these are children, and record numbers of young people emigrating.

The council should feel consistent pressure in compulsory purchasing derelict and vacant property in the area to make way for affordable housing in every ward in the country. This method has been successful in other wards in the city, such as Palmerstown/Nth Clondalkin/Lucan, due to the work of PBP councillor Madeleine Johansson. Myself and my branch would advocate for this in the Pembroke ward, where there is an urgency for accommodation for all, with plans to address the council and mobilise the community.

It will come as no surprise to anyone that my No. 1 priority is delivering housing in this city, reversing the skyrocketing rise of rents well beyond people’s reach because of the lack of housing and tackling the causes of homelessness. The % requirement for social and affordable housing must be increased and enforced. Social and affordable housing co-ops must be incentivised by local and national government. Owners of property that is underutilised, such as floors above shop level, should be offered tax incentives and meaningful grants, and actively assisted by Dublin City Council with the process of bringing the underutilised part of their property up to residential standard. Where a property has fallen into disuse, owners/occupiers should also be incentivised and assisted to bring it up to residential standard for social and affordable housing. The planning process for conversion of excess office accommodation and commercial properties to social and affordable housing should be streamlined and prioritised. Where new modular homes can be built, this should be incentivised and resourced in a sustainable way that serves all the community.

I would definitely aim to send more staffing resources to the council’s private rental inspection team, to ensure that minimum standards are being upheld.

Right now it’s a case that when things get reported there will be a wait time for inspection and it’s also reliant on tenant’s reporting which is difficult since many tenant’s would fear retribution from landlord’s and anxiety from losing their home if they reported and in the current rental market it would be extremely challenging for them to find another home. What we need to do is to get as much housing supply onto the market, work across party to ensure there is compromise and that housing proposals where reasonable and contain sociable, affordable and cost rental, passes. Also to represent tenants who are living in poor conditions on accessing the resources without fear of retribution. 

On our social rented schemes I had suggested to the maintenance section of the idea of an onsite caretaker office that would recruit apprentices from the residents of the housing complexes themselves, it gives the residents back an element of agency as well as ownership but more importantly it may allow things to be fixed in a more timely and efficient manner. I have also suggested real time tracking of how long a repair would take. 

I have worked on a few cases of the tenant in situ scheme and when the council purchase the properties they ensure it’s fit for purpose, not on is this a good way of increasing our housing stock but it allows for better oversight on living conditions.

In addition as the founder and Chair of Dublin City Council’s Subcommittee of Homelessness I would add that it is not only the conditions of the accommodation that is essential but in cases of homelessness it is the integration and wrap around supports that are essential and this is why Housing First which saw an integrated approach with HSE, local authorities and NGOs, is welcomed.

I’d favour increasing the rental tax credit further in the next budget to over €1,000 and more legal representation for tenants at RTB hearings.

The Environmental Health Section carry out inspections, order improvements to substandard housing and enforce those orders. They must be resourced properly by our city council. This work is crucial to ensuring homes in Dublin are safe to live in for their inhabitants. I will work hard to support and promote the resourcing of this work. 

Private tenants must be made aware of their rights. I will work towards empowerment of renters in Dublin by communication of their rights, through direct communication and the sharing of information through Council and citywide initiatives. 

This is essential for ensuring the well-being and dignity of Dubliners. Dublin city councillors have limited capacity in delivering this, which is something we must address, however, some measures can be implemented to ensure improved conditions in social housing.

One way is to prioritize the maintenance and enhancement of our existing housing stock while also addressing systemic issues that have contributed to neglect and substandard living conditions. It is crucial that Dublin City Council is adequately resourced to maintain and upgrade existing social housing units. As new social housing developments are added to the housing stock, resources should be expanded in tandem to ensure that we do not neglect our existing housing infrastructure. We need sustainable funding to employ more people in Dublin City Council’s housing maintenance section. This in turn would provide additional capacity for repairs, renovations, and ongoing maintenance.

The Department of Housing needs to make money available to the City. The ringfenced funding allocated to maintenance should be expanded with the help of any excess funding for housing that was left unspent.

In terms of privately rented properties, it is important that the RTB is given appropriate regulatory enforcement to hold landlords accountable for maintaining safe and habitable living conditions for tenants. I would be supportive of measures to expand the capacity of the RTB, however, this would be a matter for the Department of Housing, rather than the Dublin City Council.

I would like to see more local engagement in the management of social housing and the re-introduction of resident caretakers. Maintenance funding should be based on agreed resident priorities and anti-social behaviour needs to be seen for what it is an attack on local communities. This is something I have raised over many years.

In March 2023, we were devastated to see the No Fault Eviction Ban stripped away from renters across the country, as this was some of the only legislation keeping tenants and families out of homelessness. I would campaign for the reinstatement of the Eviction Ban whilst supporting the PBP mass retrofitting campaign across all social housing in the city and proper compensation for tenants living near construction sites in Pembroke.

A major issue preventing retrofitting under current grant schemes is the retroactive grant payment conditions, significant numbers of people can’t afford to put up the money first and receive the grant at a later date, these conditions need to be reversed. Housing is a human right and the standard of housing needs to maintain the physical and mental health of the people.

We seek to directly employ vastly more maintenance crews in Dublin City Council as the privatisation and outsourcing of the main jobs of the council has left waiting times now stretching into years for urgent repairs.

Tax incentives and meaningful grants should also apply to improving conditions in existing housing. In addition, increase in housing supply across the spectrum would help to kick start improvement of conditions in existing housing, both social and privately rented, since it’s the extreme pressure of lack of supply of housing that makes landlords think that they can charge exorbitant rent for sub-standard properties.

Hire more staff!!

We have insufficient cleaning staff and dog wardens. In recent months there has been a commitment by the new Chief Executive to hire more staff, this was something our party was pushing for. With more cleaning staff hopefully we will avoid the dirty conditions we saw last summer in our city. But this is not just a city centre issue, we need increase of cleaning in suburban areas and not just push the issue onto local tidy towns and community groups. 

In the city centre we also need more public toilets, this would tackle the issue of public urination which causes a literal stink to our city. While on the City Recovery Taskforce as Lord Mayor we brought in toilets for Grafton Street, Wolfe Tone Square, portaloos for around the city and even stated publicly that the Mansion House was available for anyone looking to use the facilities and ended up putting two portaloos on the grounds too, my thinking was that facilities of public buildings should be opened to the public and this in turn would decrease the stench of urine from some Dublin streets. We need more public toilets around the city on a permanent basis. 

As of March this year, only one dog fouling has been paid in Dublin city in the past four years – and it was cancelled on appeal. Recent Dublin council data shows that only eight fines were issued between 2019 and 2023. This highlights two issues, that we do not have enough dog wardens to issue fines and the ones we have are not out during the right times. There are a number of ways to tackle dog fouling:

• Hire more dog wardens to issue and enforce fines.
• Ensure that said officers are working during peak dog walking hours, before 9am and after 5pm, so the role should be flexo-time rather than 9-5pm. 
• Bring in more innovative ways of tracking like DNA testing, something I brought up recently and requested data of in the South East Area Committee meeting. UK boroughs have this method and Leitrim recently initiated a scheme. Instead of brushing it off as unworkable, we should look at data to see if it actually works and implement a trial scheme. All domestic dogs are brought to a vet and a microchip installed at an early stage with the owner’s address, we can use the same chip to track and issue fines when DNA testing is done on the dog foul.

Purchase more cleaning machines, more recruitment of street cleaning staff, and create a supportive work environment that champions the enormous work that our city council workers undertake.

Our streets and shared spaces are for Dubliners to enjoy. We as citizens have an individual responsibility but our city must also work with and for us by simply providing more bins in public places for people to dispose of their litter appropriately. Overflowing bins in parks on sunny days should be a thing of the past.

The supplying of free dog poo bags by park entrances and by public bins should also be introduced. We have a duty to keep our city clean, but we should all be supported in doing that duty. 

Citizens are more inclined to respect and preserve a tidy environment – be it one where they live, work or socialise. To its credit Dublin City Council employs dog wardens and litter wardens to tackle the issues around littering and dog waste – but while they do a good job, there are not enough of them and the ones we have cannot be everywhere. Dublin City Council's Waste Management staff face resource constraints, which hinder their ability to address these issues comprehensively.

It is a basic civic duty for Dublin City Council to regularly clean public spaces. But community involvement and support is also critical. We have to empower residents and citizens to report instances of littering and dog waste, aiding council staff in targeting problem areas.

To bolster Dublin City Council's efforts in combating litter, I am committed to advocating for increased funding and resources for the Waste Management Department. While securing additional funding may pose challenges within the council's current budgetary constraints, I am determined to lobby the government for ringfenced funding earmarked specifically for the expansion of personnel within Dublin City Council.

Having a clean and smart-looking capital city is as much a national responsibility as it is a local one, especially given the huge numbers who visit our city every day to work and socialise.

I support local councils being responsible for waste collection – but that also involved hard choices for those who caused its privatisation. I have previously proposed that a new post of community warden be established. These positions would be a combination of litter/traffic and dog warden and must be granted significant powers of enforcement. We also need more bins and outdoor cleaning staff.

Bin collections have been privatised and are now run by private companies. Privatisation has brought increased charges, a decline in recycling and an increase in dumping. Ireland is unlikely to reach EU targets for recycling for 2025. Municipal waste recycling rate was 41 per cent in 2020, the same as 2016, however it must reach 55 per cent by 2025.

We need to take waste management & bin collection back into proper public ownership with the council being the driving force of upkeep. With the council to be held accountable, this would prevent illegal dumping in the area and incentivise the public to sustainably manage their waste.

It is also necessary to see a major campaign by Dublin City Council in relation to responsible dog ownership and littering, with more litter wardens being employed this would also open up more employment opportunities within the Dublin City Council and I believe there would be a massive difference seen in maintenance around the ward.

Dublin City Council has to dedicate more funding and alot more time to waste management and street cleaning on an ongoing basis. We need more rubbish bins in Dublin, and they need to be emptied more regularly. We need more ‘bin it’ awareness campaigns. The effect of the recent introduction of refundable plastic bottles and cans in terms of waste management needs to be monitored to see its impact on litter as well as the environment. Only one fine for dog fouling has been paid in Dublin city in the past 4 years and it was cancelled on appeal. Dog fouling laws must be actually enforced.  

As mentioned in my answer above we have 166,000 vacant and derelict sites in the country, 12,000 of these are in our capital made of commercial and residential sites. A vast majority of these are commercial sites and this is why we need to look at expansion of the adaptive reuse scheme. As a member of the Housing SPC, we (councillors) work with the Adaptive Reuse Division of Dublin City Council on the commercial sites that are identified to be reuse, commercial on the ground floors with above shop living above. There has only been a number of properties being adapted and our job as councillors is to ensure we work with the management to expand the scheme as much as possible. In addition we need to ensure that we have a fit for purpose derelict and vacant site register that we are working off. As a Councillor I passed a motion for exactly that and even though the current derelict site list is still low, only 112 residential properties, it is higher than the 79 properties before the motion. I will also be pushing for the council management to put in proper procedures to collect the millions (6.8 million with one last report) owed from derelict site levies and be more amenable to issue compulsory purchase order of sites and properties that are derelict and vacant rather than leave that method as a last resort. Lastly as I and other councillors mentioned at previous council meetings we need more inspectors in the Croí Cónaithe (Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant) scheme, after all if we are going to encourage the owners to refurbish vacant properties and government are providing the funds for such schemes then we need to be able to make the process as efficient as possible so the property can be put back into use. 

While the derelict site levy helps, in reality the best way to tackle vacancy and dereliction is for the City Council to purchase buildings that are on the derelict site register and convert them into other use, including new homes.

We need to see real enforcement of vacant property tax at council level to tackle vacancy across the city but the Government must introduce a vacant property tax with teeth if we truly want to fix this problem. The exercising of compulsory purchase powers for derelict properties must also be carried out across the city to stop the waste and depreciation of would-be homes. In a housing crisis with the highest levels of child homelessness that the state has ever seen, there is no excuse for the levels of dereliction and vacancy that we currently see in Dublin. 

There is no silver bullet. Tackling vacancy and dereliction needs a multifaceted approach. The government’s ‘Housing for All’ plan has delivered numerous schemes and initiatives to target vacancy and dereliction. The situation has started to improve since the new government was appointed in mid-2020.

• The government introduced a vacant property tax which is calculated as three times the normal property tax rate. This new tax is aimed towards encouraging property owners to sell and offload their vacant or derelict properties. The tax applies to properties left unoccupied for 30 days or more in a 12-month period.
• The government also introduced the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant. This is a fund that derelict and vacant property owners can apply for that will help fund the rejuvenation and repairs of a property. The scheme is designed to encourage property owners to return housing stock back into use whether it’s for your own use or for rental purposes.
• The Incremental Tenant Purchase Scheme eligibility criteria were changed so more people can apply to purchase the local authority home they live in.
• The government has also provided funding for the purchase of turnkey homes to boost the supply of housing, which will then be sold at discounted prices to first-time buyers. This funding is targeted towards incomplete housing developments with planning permission.

In addition to promoting these schemes there is also another one that is within the remit of Dublin City Council, the purchasing of turnkey homes.

The first step that would need to be taken is to conduct a comprehensive inventory of vacant and derelict properties across Dublin. This involves working closely with local communities to identify properties in need of attention. By understanding the extent and nature of the problem, we can develop targeted strategies to address specific areas of concern.

I believe in streamlining regulatory processes to facilitate the redevelopment of vacant properties. This includes expediting planning permission, reducing bureaucratic barriers, and providing technical assistance to property owners navigating the redevelopment process. By making it easier and more cost-effective to repurpose vacant properties, we can accelerate the revitalization of underutilized areas and promote economic growth and community development.

Some steps have been made through taxation but we need more. The power to compulsory purchase properties left derelict need to be simplified and strengthened and then a real will on the part of management to implement.

We are living in a housing dereliction crisis with 166,000 derelict or vacant homes across the country. Too many homes are lying empty during a housing crisis when a family could be living in it. We will be calling for a comprehensive audit to be carried out on vacant and derelict properties and People Before Profit already report any derelict properties as part of our campaigns.

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. In the cases of the property owner being unable to make the property usable, Dublin City Council should compulsory purchase the property, the previous owner will receive funds from the sale and the council will increase its housing stock.

First and foremost, Dublin City Council should bring all vacant and derelict buildings that it owns itself up to residential standard. Also, where private property has fallen into disuse, owners/occupiers should be financially incentivised and actively assisted to bring it up to residential standard for social and affordable housing.

More policing is the first answer that comes to mind but policing is under the Garda Commissioner and Department of Justice. All of us on the council have said to the Garda Commissioner and Assistant Commissioners and also Minister of Justice that we need more policing. This has seen slight changes in the last number of months since the Dublin riots but it cannot be just ad hoc for big events in the city like St Patrick’s Day or the sport matches, it needs to be all year round. More Gardai on the beat would act as a deterrent as well as reactive response.

The council elements that we can enact which would improve safety are: better lighting around the city, public realm spaces as well as lanes that are well lit. Our residential streets and parks should also have public lighting to ensure safety for pedestrians. 

A lived in city is a safer city, we need to ensure that above shop living is something that happens in our city, the adaptive reuse commercial projects are part of this but looking at how to encourage landlords to use their above shop properties is essential. 

A proper night time economy that doesn’t just revolve around pubs. I was one of the Chairs on the National Night Time Economy Task Force and what I envision for the city is one with culture, art, clubs and music at night and have the movement of people through various hours from dawn to dusk and dusk to dawn which would ensure more of a feeling of safety. This also includes having proper public realm spaces which is where the new Dublin Transport plan would generate. People may claim that we already have public spaces and that they are being used for drug consumption, but our addiction issues will not be eradicated by less public realm spaces, it needs safe injection centres which is something my colleagues and I have advocated for.

More Gardai on the street, in our city centre and in our urban villages. Public order Gardai were highly visible in the city centre over the Christmas period and in the wake of the riots, this should be continued.

Strong communities are safe communities. As well as infrastructure like CCTV and street lighting, community initiatives and safe third spaces for people of all ages are needed to make our streets safe. We’ve seen issues of vandalism of playgrounds recently in Pembroke, and require the city and Gardaí to be responsive to these issues as they arise in our communities, but we also must address issues like vandalism at their root. 

It is not just social issues that make our streets unsafe, poor infrastructure keeps people from accessing their own communities, for fear of injury or accidents. The city must see an increase in its lighting of outdoor public spaces and streets, properly maintain footpaths, and ensure vulnerable road users are adequately protected.

There are many things we can do.

Community policing initiatives and promoting community watch programs can significantly contribute to improving safety. WhatsApp groups can be effective in alerting people to events and issues in the area. Involving An Garda Síochána in those WhatsApp groups, especially in areas with higher crime statistics, can facilitate rapid communication about safety concerns, and promote collaboration in addressing community-specific issues.

But another important move would be to improve safety by having adequate street lighting. I have been pushing for the installation of dimmer switches in streetlights. This would increase visibility in the evening time for when people are travelling home from work and would also address concerns about light pollution. By adjusting the brightness of the streetlights at different times of the day, we can increase safety without compromising people’s comfort at home.

Implementing targeted crime prevention strategies based on data-driven analysis of crime hotspots and trends is essential for effectively addressing safety concerns. Having Garda visibility in certain areas can help towards prevention. This proactive approach enables An Garda Síochána to allocate resources efficiently, prioritize interventions, and collaborate with local communities to address underlying factors contributing to crime.

Clearly we need more Gardaí on the beat. They need to be resourced properly and as I have said above anti-social low level crime needs to be taken seriously. As a victim of an unprovoked assault myself I saw how poorly the current system works.

We have to tackle the socioeconomic underpinnings of society, that means more funding in social projects. The key issue around anti-social behaviour is giving people an outlet whether it be in social, leisure and sports facilities. This would include our council investing into local arts organisations, gyms and community centres and protecting them as essential facilities in our society.

There’s little to no concrete investment for teenagers and young people in public spaces, areas where they are safe to socialise. We need to give young people a prosocial outlet for their spare time that is safely lit, safe from the roads, free public wifi and maintained.

Whatever policies and resources it takes, we cannot succumb to the violence that we witnessed in Dublin last November. Our streets must be adequately policed. Drug addiction is wreaking havoc in cities all over the world. Dublin is not immune from this, and the problem is not simply going to go away. The causes must be tackled, and drug abuse on our streets must be managed through adequate supports for people struggling with addiction. 

Nationally and regionally we need to continue to build and expand our public transport network and make journeys more reasonable and more sustainable. The Greens nationally have made public transport a priority and funded major projects everywhere, while cutting fares by 20% for adults and 60% for young people. Public transport use grew by 25% last year alone. In addition significant investment has been put into the purchase of electric buses and also expansion of the Dart network.

For Dublin the aim should be that public transport, walking and cycling should be the primary mode of transport. This does not mean that we are banning cars but it means reducing the amount of cars that use Dublin as a through road. This in turn will allow public transport for the city to flow quicker.

We need to build the metro and then move towards a feasibility study for a metro south west that would include Portabello, Rathmines and Terenure.

At a time when we should be seeking to incentivise use of public transport, the reliability of the services must be of paramount importance. We must increase the numbers of buses on our popular routes and ensure ghost buses, instead of disappearing off the timetable, disappear from our lives. The council should be engaging with operators and the NTA to highlight and resolve these issues. 

I can answer this in three words: Build Metro Link. It is deeply frustrating to see it delayed so many times. I genuinely fear that I might be retired by the time it is complete!

However, I don’t completely agree with its current plans. I firmly believe that we need a Metro Link for the Southwest area (through Rathmines and Rathgar, towards Firhouse). The addition of this line will not only prevent the closure of the LUAS Green Line for 5 years, but it will alleviate the pressure on the Green Line once it is complete. People commuting to Dublin and availing of the Luas ‘Park and Ride’ service will be able to avail of a much faster and more efficient service in the Metro Link.

If I had the powers to do so, I would very quickly scrap the Leap card and move to a simple tap-and-go system, similar to the system used on the London Underground and elsewhere. It is far cheaper and much more efficient to use. It is also easier for tourists to navigate their way around the city.

I would also like to advocate for a school transport ticket, where second level students can avail of free public transport for travelling to and from school. This would alleviate pressure on the roads with fewer school runs in the car. School Bus tickets are commonplace in the country where school buses are free of charge, Dublin-based students must not be neglected.

It is also extremely important that we have adequate cycling infrastructure. Sometimes this comes down to not just a segregated cycle lane, but the condition of the roads. Potholes are frustrating for drivers, but even more for cyclists who risk punctures and even life-threatening situations where they have to swerve out of the way to avoid potholes. The edges of the roads which cyclists frequently use are often neglected and suffer the worst damage. I would advocate strongly for the resurfacing of roads in this regard.

When the council is resurfacing the roads, it is important that it is done right. Sometimes, the newly resurfaced road could result in localised flooding where water has nowhere to escape to where there is no declined surface for water to flow away. It is important that these issues are considered as I have seen too many resurfaced roads with these issues unaddressed. More frequent drainage shores along the road could solve this issue.

We need a single accountable Dublin Transport Authority to be established that would work in tandem with the National Transport Authority but would, in a meaningful way, be accountable to the people of Dublin. I would simplify the Bus/Luas/Dart fare structure.

Free and frequent public transport needs to be introduced to encourage people out of their cars and free up the streets from traffic. We hear complaints all year round, that the luas should run on Christmas timetables throughout the year, with more frequent trams and later operating hours. In the long term we strive towards 24/7 public transport, as we believe the importance of feeling assured that getting home from the city centre or night shifts shouldn’t rely on taxis or walking home at night.

The current government has rejected PBP’s proposal in the Dáil for free public transport instead indicating towards congestion charges. Congestion charges will work as a class barrier with richer people not impacted by the fee continuing to drive into the city and it will be another tax on the working class crucially not offering an alternative to car dependency that free and frequent public transport will do for all.

Irish people embrace new initiatives that make sense, like smokeless fuel, prohibiting smoking in public buildings, city bikes, reducing use of plastic bags.  We need people who live in and know Dublin to plan our public transport, not international consultants from faraway desks who don’t have to navigate Dublin daily as we do. Public transport in Dublin has to be made more available, more frequent, more integrated and more affordable. For environmental reasons as well as serving our community, we need to stop talking and crack this nut once and for all in relation to buses and a major expansion of light rail in a way that dovetails with the need to increase cycling and walking in our city.  

Building proper cycling and pedestrian infrastructure and repairing footpaths! And always putting pedestrians first in the hierarchy.

The essential part of cycling infrastructure are segregated bike lanes which will increase cyclist safety and lower the number of accidents on the road. Especially important near schools. This needs to be coupled with footpaths of proper widths and free from obstructions.

We need to ensure that enforcement prevents cars from parking on footpaths in residential zones. And that where possible community’s seeking filtered permeability in their areas are supported. 

We also need zebra crossings at minor junctions, to provide for pedestrian priority, alongside safer crossing points – we’ve worked to secure a reduction in the cost of installing such crossings so that they can be used much more.

Lastly as I Councillor I will be advocating for extra resource towards traffic and transport in the city council since they cover such a large brief, especially extra resourcing towards safety around school zones. We have many schools still waiting on the school zone list but not enough resource to roll out the essential scheme.  

The money that central government provides for active travel should also be spent on a major footpath improvement programme throughout urban villages within the Dublin City Council administrative area.

The maintenance of our roads and footpaths is one of the most basic but important things done by our Council. It is clear from the state of many of our footpaths and roads that the funding and work in this area is in desperate need of attention. Segregated safe cycling infrastructure, the joining up of greenways and increased pedestrianisation will make Dublin safer and more enjoyable to be in. 

Dublin City falls short on its pedestrian infrastructure. A quick glance at our European neighbours, and the shortfall becomes even more apparent. The pedestrian crossing times on main roads, such as Donnybrook, are not adequate for many older citizens.

One thing I would be strongly in favour of is for more open pedestrian spaces. In many European cities, there are plenty of accessible open spaces. For example, I would be in favour of removing the fencing around Stephen’s Green to make the park more accessible from all directions (similar to Eyre Square in Galway) and to restrict closing times for the park. I think it is a great public amenity as it is, but we can improve it.

In addition to creating more open spaces, we need to ensure that there are more seating areas. During the pandemic, it was made all too clear how inaccessible Dublin city was with very few seating areas.

I would also be in favour of completely pedestrianising certain streets around Dublin, however, we must exercise caution as we need to ensure the city remains to be accessible for people with mobility issues who cannot travel far without a car.

I am a daily cyclist myself and have supported most, though not all, cycle way routes proposed in the city. We need to find better ways to engage on these and see bike lanes as a benefit and not a threat. I am particularly proud of my work on the Dodder Greenway that has been an enormous gain for the city.

We want to see much more protected bike lanes so that cyclists of all ages and abilities 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. Secure bike parking would help encourage cyclists into the city.

Roots of trees breaking through footpaths and poor maintenance generally, including after works on utilities have been carried out, are treacherous hazards for people of all ages. Utility companies have to be contractually obliged to repair paths after carrying out works, and this has to be enforced. Dublin City Council has to dedicate more funding and alot more time to replacing and maintaining Pembroke’s footpaths on an ongoing basis. This must be done in a way that maintains and increases the trees on our city streets, which are valuable both environmentally and aesthetically. For environmental and health reasons, cycling needs to be actively encouraged in consultation with local communities and invested in by DCC. 

To say the rise of racism, anti-immigration, anti LGBTQ+ and the far right has been disheartening is an understatement. For years advocates, activists and many others, including myself have warned of the issue and we paid it no heed. Decades of underinvestment in housing and services have allowed the rhetoric and lies of the far right to take hold as deprived and underinvested communities look for someone to blame. 

As someone who has spent the past five years working with organisations, groups and individuals on issues of integration, diversity and equality and having had first-hand experience of the issues, and seen up front the rise of ethno-nationalism I have made it my priority to make sure we counter the on-going division and hate. We can do so in a number of ways: 

• On the response front we need the Garda Commissioner to see ethno-nationalist groups that cause violence and harm as a real threat to society. There needs to be cross agency collaboration and a proactive strategy from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the Department of Justice to tackle the rise of these far right groups. Look at everything from intelligence monitoring to on ground community policing.
• We need proper sanctions from Coimisiún na Meán in terms of social media platforms breaching the Digital Services Act, the current fine is a drop in the ocean for many of these companies. 
• On the prevention front we need clear national communication campaign to debunk the ongoing lies and rhetoric pushed by the far right and as part of said communication highlight the positives of immigration and those seeking asylum. Again cross agency collaboration is key. We’ve had successful climate communication projects from the Department of Culture and Department of Environment, the same needs to apply when it comes to immigration. For too long bad actors push lies and division and the public also focus on the pull factor of why immigrants come to Ireland. We need to start talking about the push factors of why people are choosing to depart their homes, global warming, drought, lack of food security. 
• We also need ongoing investment in services, health, housing and community services to ensure the lies do not gain traction in underinvested areas. We need investment in Community Development especially infrastructure of community and sporting facilities to proactively engage local community and new residents.

The above are things we can do from a national level and with exception of community development and sporting, may not be within the control of Councillors to execute. But it is within the powers of Councillors to advocate and provide the facts for the public, not a narrative that would win them voters but one which guides us to make a fairer and better society. 

Within the local authority I have pushed for integration officers, drafting and implementation of an integration strategy which is long promised and overdue. I will continue to push for a proper integration and inclusion strategy and supports, we can and should do this via every section of the council especially through community development and also through sports. 

I have supported and founded “For All” welcome groups and have worked on ground to ensure the integration and inclusion of those seeking refuge and asylum. These groups have been supported by the North and South City Partnerships and the local authority community managers, we need to ensure these connections hold and are supported. I have worked cross party to ensure that hate and division does not take hold in communities when people are persistent in sowing hate and division, cross party collaboration is essential to ensure that we present a united front. 

We also need to ensure marginalised and minority groups have voices on our local council and as Councillors we need to ensure that our groupings promote the candidacy of marginalised and minority candidates. I have for many years worked and supported  many organisations such as Irish Travellers Movement of Ireland, Immigrant Council of Ireland, BelongTo, Teni, Women For Election, Migrant Rights Alliance, Pavee Point among many others, to ensure we increase our representation from minority and marginalised communities in every local councils so that we reflect the make up of society better.

Ireland is your home as well as mine, it is the home of those who are born here and those who seek refuge here, it is the home for the marginalised and the diverse. Ireland is a land of welcomes despite those trying to make it not so. Ireland is not full, Ireland is for all. And on June the 7th I hope everyone casts a vote to ensure we have a fair and inclusive Ireland.

I provide accurate information to those who seek it and I engage with every member of my community. It is incumbent on everyone who is elected to exercise the power you have to inform accurately and seek out information that you can both explain and advocate on. Prejudice only survives in an information vacuum. Ultimately, Dublin remains an extremely welcoming city and it is the job of all of us to make sure it stays that way.

In a toxic and frightening time we must be bold and steadfast in our advocating for the vulnerable and marginalised groups that are demonised and dehumanised by the far right. I will be outspoken in this regard.

We must ensure that the far right are not permitted to prey upon fears and we must support inclusion and participation of new members of our communities here in the capital. This can be done in part through proper funding of community initiatives and events by Dublin City Council, but councillors also have a duty to show leadership in their communities by wholeheartedly and publicly rejecting fear and hatred of immigrants. That is a duty I will take extremely seriously. 

I want to live in a Dublin that is inclusive and celebrates diversity. I will not concede anything to those whose goal is dissemination of hate and vitriol. Dublin should be a safe and secure place for everyone who calls it home. All representatives must show leadership when it comes to the protection of our LGBTQ+ and our migrant population.

This type of behaviour is completely unacceptable, and a zero-tolerance approach should be taken.

I believe in fostering a culture of inclusivity and celebrating the diversity of our city. As a community, we must actively promote tolerance, acceptance, and respect for individuals from all backgrounds, regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or immigration status. This includes supporting initiatives that celebrate cultural diversity, hosting events that promote intercultural dialogue, and highlighting the contributions of immigrant communities to Dublin and Ireland.

It's essential to confront hate speech and disinformation propagated by far-right groups and extremists. I would strongly support a public advertising campaign by Dublin City Council to combat hate speech and disinformation. It is hugely important that people are educated with media literacy skills to differentiate between legitimate and illegitimate news.

Building trust and rapport with marginalized communities is essential for addressing their unique needs and concerns. I support investing in community outreach programs, social services, and support networks for immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, and asylum-seekers, providing them with access to essential resources, including housing, healthcare, legal assistance, and mental health support.

Over many years as a public representative I have supported every campaign to reduce division and hatred across our city. I have worked on the establishment of the Dublin 4 and Dublin 6 'Welcome to All' groups. The key is to engage with the vast majority of ordinary decent people who abhor the far right- this I do all the time. Elected representatives also have to constantly stand up for democratic, inclusive politics. I hope I have always done that.

The far right continue to fearmonger and spread false information, with their incentive on working class communities. This has not appeared out of nowhere and what we see at the moment is the accumulation of years of austerity, dismissal and anger. There is a lot of false information regarding immigrants, and it is urgently necessary to widen and build Housing For All groups to help counter.

A broad housing movement, similar to the water charges, demonstrates that it’s not your immigrant neighbour, your traveller neighbours or the asylum seekers sleeping rough on the streets that are creating economic devastation that the far right are capitalising on, it's the banks, the vulture funds and years of Fine Fáil and Fine Gael reign. As a People Before Profit Rep, I would work with local community groups in an effort to increase diversity and ensure that people from every background feel welcome, as the housing crisis impacts us all.

Ireland of the welcomes is not a myth. The vast majority of Irish people abhor hatred. But we have to make sure that our voices are heard over the far right minority. While awareness campaigns help to counter racism and discrimination of all types across the city, communities actively, warmly and openly welcoming the diverse population of today’s Dublin tackles this at grassroots level. In the Pembroke area, the Sikh community in Sandymount is a good example of how this can be achieved, and I would engage with other communities to follow this example.