Community. Community. Community. Yes I just wrote the same word three times. When considering this question, I believe we must also take into account how to make new housing sustainable for the community. Because of its proximity to the city centre, South West Inner City Dublin is an attractive spot to developers to build massive apartment blocks and developments to serve the transient population. Dublin 8 is over-developed in terms of student and short-term rental developments. When considering how to get more housing built in the city it should be community-led, not developer-led. There is no point building lots of apartments and ending up with a concrete jungle.

New developments need to work for the community in Dublin 8 first and foremost. We need to prioritise housing for families and people who are living and working in Dublin 8- those who are going to put roots down and help build community, as opposed to more short term, transient renters. We need to ensure that families can live and grow in Dublin 8, that we can build lasting networks that support and look out for every member of the community. There is a very strong sense of community and characteristic spirit in Dublin 8 and if elected to Dublin City Council I intend to protect and support this. I will fight for the people in our community- not for the profit-driven developers.

As an Aontú candidate I support Aontú’s proposals at a legislative level to improve the housing situation. These are:

• To prioritise the building of social and affordable housing
• To end land bank speculation
• To incentivise long term rental agreements in rental properties
• To end tax advantages for predatory Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
• See question 4 below re: incentivising the use of vacant properties and Aontú policy on derelict houses

Taking my support of the delivery of public housing—social, cost rental and affordable purchase—as a given, in addition to this, in my time on the Council since 2020, I’ve highlighted the thousands of homes that have already worked their way through our planning system and been granted but are sitting there uncommenced.

In February 2023, it was revealed to me that across DCC’s 5 administrative areas, over 700 planning permissions that have been granted have yet to commence that could deliver over 20,000 housing units. In November 2023, the City Council confirmed that Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) were in discussion with owners of just 7 of these sites with a view to taking them on for delivery of public housing. That needs to be significantly ramped up and we must adopt a “use it or lose it” approach to our planning permissions to stop developers sitting on sites and speculating on land.

Further, through the Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028, effectively the City’s planning rulebook, I pushed for stricter measures to clamp down on the overconcentration of hotel developments so that city centre sites could be used for housing instead. This has already reaped a benefit where a hotel development proposed for Francis Street, Dublin 8 was struck down by planners citing overconcentration.

Dublin South West inner city is a densely populated urban area and can’t be viewed in the same way as other areas and the current approaches are ineffective to cope with the requirements people have for housing. Younger people, even those working in well paid jobs are facing extremely limited options when it comes to buying or renting a place to live in the city in which they work.

If we are to have vital cities in which to work, rest and recreate, we cannot make it impossible for people to live in them. We don’t need another hotel or student accommodation being approved and I believe a cap level should be put in place for such developments as we over index on those types of properties. Priority should be given to residential developments.

Fine Gael is the party of home ownership and that makes sense for a number of reasons however I would like to focus on one reason in particular from the RTB. Their statistics show that average monthly rent payment in Dublin is around €2000 while average monthly mortgage instalments according to Bank of Ireland Calculators, can range between €1,300-€1,700 for a reasonably sized property, therefore meaning that paying a mortgage especially if you are living in Dublin, could be cheaper than renting a home.

Home ownership is not just a cost saving measure, it’s security, it’s a sense of belonging, it’s a freedom, it’s a home. I want to tackle the chronic housing and homelessness problem by promoting the construction of more social and affordable houses and introducing key worker housing for people in health, education, emergency service, etc.

There are a number of ways to get more housing built. Pilot retail / accommodation development schemes, increase utilisation of public private partnership development schemes. Employ modern methods of construction such as rapid build as has been done in commercial and residential settings up and down the country. There is also a huge opportunity with regeneration and commercial to residential redevelopment. Going forwards Dublin city council and planners issuing permissions for large scale build to rent schemes should do so with affordable and social housing at 20% and not 10% which could factor in a percentage ( 5% - 10%) for key workers.

All of the above does not work unless you take a very pragmatic approach to housing so the approach need to be twofold and address the construction labour shortages as well. Being progressive in responding to these challenges through schemes like the new ‘Careers in Construction Action Plan'. With the aim to recruit and retain a higher number of workers than is currently provided will go some way in giving a solution that is scalable, sustainable and deliver results.

I would fight to stop long-term leasing as a policy for social housing delivery. It is incredibly wasteful for the council to pay nearly market rent for up to 25 years to a landlord, only to then hand the house back at the end. This money should be diverted towards building social and affordable housing.

My party wants to create a specific zoning for affordable housing so that only genuinely affordable homes can be built in specific areas. The zoning conditions need to ensure that these homes remain affordable in future, even when the initial occupiers move on.

The Social Democrats are fans of the O Cualann model for affordable housing delivery, where the subsidy is near the beginning of the process (waiver of levies, cheap land, or early stage financing on favourable terms) rather than via tax breaks, which just inflate the purchase price and line developer pockets.

The Vacant Site Levy failed in large part due to the fact that a huge number of councils failed to engage with the terms of the Levy. I’ll work to make sure DCC properly engages with the legislation governing the Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT), which replaces the Vacant Site Levy this year. This would help end the underuse of city centre sites, counter land-hoarding, and minimise dereliction.

Ultimately, we need to get councils back building social housing again, re-building capacity within the council to act as developers and project managers on large housing schemes on public land, rather than passing on that land (and with it the profit) to private developers.

Housing is the number one issue for People Before Profit. The key to tackle an increase in supply of more social and affordable housing in Dublin right now is to address the land and property hoarding of big businesses and vulture funds.

In Dublin 8 in particular, there are hotels and build to rent projects towering over what was once a tight knit community before the city’s expansion. The council are in support of this while trying to cater to young professional’s city living lifestyles. This may fill a gap in the market but if you are to see the new development of Newmarket Yards, the rents are above the reach of any working couple in the city right now.

If these projects were fulfilled by the council versus large developers the prices for rent would be cheaper and security of tenure would satisfy the concerns of young people trying to enter the property or rental markets. PBP’s response to this has always been clear in that the council should take possession of large land banks and prioritise state building of social housing on public land.

Without the willpower and serious devotion to tackling the housing crisis by other government parties such as FF and FG; their vested interests will always trump the interests of the young working class.

The housing crisis has caused misery for countless people across this city. 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.

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 Sinn Féin government would take a different approach to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. We set out in our 2024 Alternative Budget that a Sinn Féin government would deliver greater investment, increase targets to match demand, cut out red tape which is resulting in delays of up to 2 years before a brick is laid, use new technology to build, speed up planning and introduce changes to tax code to incentivise building of affordable homes.

A team of Sinn Féin councillors will work hard on the council 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.

The housing shortage is the number one issue facing the city - it wrecks lives, forces people out of Dublin, and has knock-on negative effects across every area of city life.

The first and most simple thing I would do as a councillor is not block or oppose new housing applications unless there are major issues. I’ve seen over the past five years that the main power a councillor has is to stop something - it’s much harder to get things going.

So I work from a presumption that new housing plans are good and may need improvement - rather than something to be instinctively opposed to. This may sound obvious or basic, but I am constantly amazed at how many elected officials oppose even reasonable housing plans. I won’t do that - I’ll seek to improve plans rather than stop them.

I would also:

• Increase resources to the council team who tax and purchase vacant/derelict homes, to bring them back into housing or community use.
• Push the council to develop more social and public housing on public lands, and support the Land Development Agency and approved housing bodies to develop that out too. Social housing is not only a good thing in itself, but can also prevent gentrification in areas as they grow denser.
• Work to report illegal full-time AirBnBs, which deprive the city of much-needed homes.
• Rezone more suitable land for housing. We did this in the current council term with land in industrial estates and I think we should continue across the wider city.
• Develop a new plan to develop space above shops for housing - something Dublin hasn’t managed to get right in the past. I think a scheme where the council takes a more direct role in terms of ownership or design could make it work.
• Support more cost rental housing, where the rent you pay is based on the development cost. This is self-financing, but offers cheaper, secure homes.
• Aim more resources at city council apprenticeships in housing maintenance, so that council-owned vacant properties are turned around quicker. Some units sit idle for months or years - we need to step that up.
• Maintain good-quality standards for housing, particularly in terms of warmth and energy efficiency.

As a local activist, I spearheaded the development of 57 social housing units, known as Bonham Court (completed 2023), as part of the Bridgefoot Street Park campaign.

[Note: Asked to clarify, Obeimhen said she advocated for the site where the flats now stand to be zoned to include land for housing, intended to provide passive surveillance of the new park.]  

I have a track record of getting social housing, and accompanying parks and playgrounds built. I am also working on an online guide to navigating the council housing list/system in DCC. I also want to work on digitising the DCC council housing transfer list.

I also support choice-based lettings (CBL) as a faster way to allocate social housing. I support more affordable owner occupier housing, and long term social housing being built in Dublin South Central, not just transient ‘commercial housing’ like hotels and student accommodation.

I am a single issue candidate with one priority ... and one priority only ... the restoration and re-opening of the Inchicore Library building for the benifit of all the local community groups who have been deprived of a venue for their activities for the last four years.

The housing crisis is such that it is both a local and a national issue. Sinn Féin has been the party putting the issue of housing front and central continuously for years. We need housing, social and affordable and we need it now. 

Similar to many thousands of others in this city I experienced some of the stresses of trying to find new accommodation in this city when for a period last year, I was declared homeless by Dublin City Council. This happened when the conditions of the HAP property I was living was so bad that Dublin City Council said it needed so much work my lease was ended by the landlord.

On the Council I will work to accelerate the regeneration project of Emmet Road, Dolphin House and St Teresa’s Gardens to increase the social and affordable in Dublin 8. I will also work to ensure that plans are finalised for other Council property and at lands earmarked on CIÉ lands in Inchicore.

As a Sinn Féin councillor I want to be involved from the very start in speeding up the delivery of homes in our city. In Dublin 8 we need homes fit for purpose, and I would ensure that the current regeneration projects in Dolphin House, St. Teresa’s Gardens, the Emmet Road/St Michael’s Estate, and others are sped up.

Dublin City Council needs to be more pro-active in tackling derelict and vacant properties in the Liberties, ensuring their owners renovate them with grant aids, or using CPOs to turn them into affordable rental and social homes and not a blight in our communities.

I would demand that the government release the funds to ensure quicker turnaround of vacant City Council flats and houses.

There is an urgent need for the City Council to build homes on any vacant and underutilised lands it has in Dublin 8 and beyond to address the ever-growing housing waiting list.

Accountability is so important in order to maintain and improve conditions in existing housing. In the case of social housing, it is the local authority who acts as landlord and who is responsible for maintaining and repairing housing. If elected, I would encourage budgetary spending in the area of inspections of social housing, responding in a timely manner to complaints and in the maintenance and repair of social housing.

In the case of privately rented accommodation, landlords must ensure rented homes meet minimum standards. These are set out in the ‘Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019’. This is supposed to be enforced by Dublin City Council but according to my feedback from residents of Dublin 8, they don’t seem to be carrying out enough inspections to hold landlords to account. If elected, I would encourage and vote in favour of more spending on enforcing minimum standards regulations.

Since 2020, I have worked with residents and community leaders across many of the social housing flat complexes in my own area of the South West Inner City to demand that Dublin City Council takes its duty as a landlord to its tenants more seriously, especially when it comes to damp and mould conditions which pose a significant health risk.

Through the Oliver Bond Regeneration Forum, which I helped establish, I have pushed and engaged constructively with City Council Maintenance to undertake a review of all homes in particularly vulnerable locations i.e. which have boundary walls facing out onto stairwells and ends of blocks, to be targeted for enhanced work. This doesn’t mean we neglect those living in the middle of blocks, however, it just means we are targeting those residents more susceptible to weather conditions impacting the damp and mould in their homes.

Further, I worked with residents in Pimlico Flats, Tyrone Place, Dolphin House, Emmet Buildings, Basin Street, Mary Aikenhead and others to highlight the deplorable living conditions they are subjected to by Dublin City Council.

What we need and what I would push for is greater budget allocation for our housing maintenance works. Of the €7m allocated in DCC’s Capital Budget—which is not voted on, but just ‘noted’ by Full Council—only approx. €1m of that goes towards “condensation” – this is to serve the needs of the over 27,500 council homes in the city.

We need to ensure that we not only have a focus on quantity of new homes, but also the quality of existing one as well. Accountability is vital we have all seen and read the reports from the Oliver Bond flats in what sadly seemed like a long saga for the residents. People in that sort of situation should be able to go to their elected councillors and or TD’s have their concerns heard and dealt with particularly with social housing.

I have been a strong advocate for people in Dublin 8 and have successfully resolved a number of remedial issues. If elected I intend to carry on being a strong voice in Dublin city council and assisting anyone who needs help and support no matter who they are or where they live.

The conditions some renters have to put up with is totally unacceptable.

In private rented accommodation, I would promote an information campaign to ensure renters are aware of their minimum standards rights and how to take action if they are not being met.

I would push for the Environmental Health Section to be properly resourced so it can increase inspections, issue improvement notices, and carry out enforcement proceedings.

For improving social housing, councils often have their hands tied because so much of their budget comes from the central government. If the Department of Housing is not providing enough funding to carry out essential maintenance, then the council should ringfence the rents collected from social housing tenants to pay for repairs.

As a People Before Profit Councillor, I continue to support large retrofitting campaigns across social housing. If you were to witness the extent of emails we receive on the grounds of maintenance it would be shocking. People right across Dublin 8 are living in damp, mould, and general run down housing.

With 10 regeneration projects in the South West Inner City, it is already an agenda of the DCC in bringing stock up to standard by upgrading outdated gas systems, outside insulation of houses, solar panels and general environmentally focused improvements to stock. The issue is the pace of this project.

The privatisation and outsourcing of maintenance works are slowing down the progress due to the stages they happen in. Between tendering, design teams it can take months just to begin these works. It has delayed urgent works by years and therefore the council needs to employ maintenance workers directly to improve efficiency and actually hit their targets. The people living in these conditions cannot wait much longer.

With the recent health report on Oliver Bond it is clear the impact of these run down flats are severely damaging the health of people. A vote for me will be a vote to directly employ mass maintenance workers on to the council and filter out unnecessary stages in fulfilling projects.

Damp and mould is top of the poor conditions that exists in our housing stock. There also exists major maintenance issues and quality of environment for those renting. Often the renters are too afraid to report the poor conditions as they could find themselves with a NTQ. Insecure with homelessness resulting for those evicted.

Sinn Féin has proposed significant increases in Government funding for Councils to maintain, refurbish and retrofit Council homes. This includes a specific fund for local authorities to respond proactively to maintenance issues including windows and doors, damp, mould and leaks. Too often, a small leak becomes a huge problem because it is left for too long.

We would work towards every local authority producing a preventative maintenance plan. We would also introduce a regeneration scheme for apartments and flats that are past their lifespan.

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. 

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.

But I know from dealing with many cases on this front, many tenants are nervous about reporting problems. That’s because at the core of poor housing conditions is a power imbalance - due to such an acute huge housing shortage, landlords have huge power over tenants. Much like a big employer in a small town, people often have nowhere else to go. This reduces standards and makes it far less likely that tenants can vindicate their rights through legal means, as they may understandably fear eviction.

If we increase the amount of new housing, we weaken the landlord’s power in favour of tenants, which will have a positive impact. The same logic applies to building new cost rental, affordable and social housing: this will raise standards elsewhere too, as tenants will have better alternative options.

At a council level, I would work to:

• Support regenerations and renovations to improve conditions in our inner-city flat complexes. This is already working well in Dolphin’s Barn, but we need to push for similar schemes in Oliver Bond, Tyrone Place, Basin Lane etc. From what I’ve seen, this takes long-term, consistent pressure from councillors to get it on the agenda and ensure it is done with respect to existing tenants.
• Increase the direct labour and apprenticeships undertaken in Dublin City Council to renovate, fix and upgrade social housing.
• Push nationally to maintain the recently increased resources to upgrade the insulation and energy efficiency of social housing.
• Continue with the tenant-in-situ scheme, where the council purchases homes from private landlords where the tenant is at risk of eviction. I have worked on several cases where this has worked and it has changed people’s lives for the better.

I also think that improving conditions in housing can be done by creating better wider civic facilities, such as parks and playgrounds. Developing new playing pitches at Marrowbone Lane and Teresa’s Gardens would be major political priorities for me locally. We saw during COVID how important they are to city living, and are vital for families to have shared green space, especially if living in apartments or spaces without gardens.

I live in council housing and I've noticed the lack of a straightforward procedure for reporting maintenance issues like black mould or broken doors. The current approach is largely reactive, with residents often turning to local councillors for help. Many end up paying for repairs themselves, which isn't feasible for everyone. A clear, digital system for reporting issues, similar to the innovation seen with housing associations like Circle Housing's tenant maintenance portal, is urgently needed for efficiency and accessibility.

I also lived in the private rented sector from 1998 to 2009, in awful conditions including a room with no window for 7 years. Thankfully the RTB was set up in 2004, and rogue slum landlords are increasingly coming under pressure in the inner city. Any private rented issues should be checked on the RTB website. I have reported hundreds of private rented housing issues to the RTB and DCC for local residents in Dublin 8.

I would suggest everyone living in private rented accommodation, consider putting their name down on the social housing list. I was very grateful to get a council flat in 2009, and then a long term affordable council house.

I am a single issue candidate with one priority ... and one priority only ... the restoration and re-opening of the Inchicore Library building for the benifit of all the local community groups who have been deprived of a venue for their activities for the last four years.

The current condition of much rental accommodation is poor across the city. De-humidifiers are commonplace as tenants try to tackle the damp, mouldy and cramped conditions in many flats and apartments. 

Through my work on the South Inner City Community Development Association, I was part of the board that assisted with Trinity College’s report on the living conditions within the Oliver Bond flats complex and their effects on residents' health. 

To address the conditions in the Social housing stock, Sinn Féin have proposed increases in Government funding to refurbish Council homes. In the private rental market, more needs to be done in terms of enforcing minimum housing standards with more inspections of HAP properties and other private rented properties to ensure they are fit for purpose, are habitable and are not causing or contributing to tenant’s poor health.

I am working alongside residents of the F2 housing complex in organising a tenant’s association, to ensure the various stakeholders responsible for security and maintenance of the complex are held to account and made act. I have been supporting local campaigns in Dolphin House, in Pimlico around overdue essential maintenance issues and preservation of the waste chutes with Dublin City Council.

Not every homeowner can afford to improve their home and given the Cost-of-Living crisis I believe that the City Council along with government should look at ways in which they can ease the burden to help people and business to improve their properties, their building facades, and gardens. The Council should set an example by increasing spending on street cleaning and path repairs.

As a local resident I am very conscious of the lack of green space in Dublin 8, and I want to ensure that our public spaces are welcoming, comfortable, and safe. I have also been campaigning for funding to have the football pitch there resurfaced and for more Community Development workers across the city to help tackle increasing anti-social behaviour.

Our environment has a huge impact on how we feel about ourselves and our community. At a very basic level, more bins are needed in certain parts of South West Inner City Dublin- for example, currently there is only one bin on Meath Street. If elected I would demand more bins and that they be maintained to an acceptable standard.

Again, the sense of community is so important- in particular community spirit - having pride in your community and surroundings, working together to keep our area clean and pleasant for everyone. I encourage responsible pet ownership- people should clean it up when their dog poos. Enforcement and accountability comes into play here too- there are fines for dog fouling (ie, not cleaning up your dog’s mess) and if elected I would encourage a more regular inspection of public areas in Dublin 8 so that people who don’t clean up their dog’s mess are held to account.

A problem that is particular to Dublin 8 is the issue of horse manure on the streets due to the horse-and-traps that are used commercially to transport tourists from the Guinness Storehouse for tours around Dublin 8. In particular, streets in Pimlico and around Meath Street are affected by horse manure on the streets.

If elected, I would encourage these horse and cart operators to use dung catchers and seek a solution that works for them as well as the community. For example, horse dung makes great fertiliser- perhaps the horse-and-cart operators could be encouraged to work with a local gardening initiative in the community. Furthermore, I would liaise with Gardaí to initiate more regular inspections of these horse-and-carts to ensure dung catchers are being utilised.

At present, communities can organise a “Community Clean-Up” where volunteers come together to clean up an area and Dublin City Council provide the equipment needed and remove rubbish collected. If elected, I would ensure this type of endeavour is publicised and encouraged more by Dublin City Council.

Standards in playgrounds and similar facilities need to be maintained so that they are clean and safe for children to use. This is currently not the case- many parents are unhappy with the state of playgrounds in Dublin 8. Children are the future and we need to invest in maintaining playgrounds and facilities for them. This is a small ask of Dublin City Council and I would seek to enforce proper maintenance of these areas if elected.

There needs to be tougher regulations on Airbnb operators in the city– these short term lettings generate high volumes of rubbish and residents of Dublin 8 have complained bins are often left overflowing on the streets for days.

As part of the Budget Consultative Working Group for Budget 2024 on behalf of the Labour Party, I supported additional spending to deliver more City Council staff working across our city centre but also in our local administrative areas for street cleaning, weeding, graffiti clean up etc. We also need more public bins and I’m blue in the face asking for more of these. The Waste Management Section are very rigid on where they will and won’t put bins meaning we have total blackspots across our city without adequate public bins.

Further, I have highlighted the difficulties for those living in terraced housing across Dublin City Council when it comes to them finding suitable waste collection companies. Of the 225,000 households in the DCC area, over 93,000 of them are terraced homes according to the most recent census. New Government legislation as of January 2024 now requires households to use a brown bin for food waste, however, the for the vast majority of residents in terraced dwellings, wheelie bins aren’t an option due to a lack of space. Waste collection companies won’t give out brown bin bags for fear of foxes, seagulls etc. tearing them apart – so residents here are left stuck.

Only three Bring Centres in the entirety of Dublin City Council—Ballymun, North Strand Road, and Ringsend—allow you to bring food waste. This needs to be expanded to more of our Bring Centres, and I have called on DCC to trial run communal bins in terraced housing locations where residents can put their brown bag waste and it is collected here from waste collectors instead of house by house. This is being looked at by DCC’s ‘Beta Projects’.

Litter and street cleanliness has been an issue in the area for a while and have come to the conclusion that there needs to be two levels of accountability the first is personal accountability and understanding the reason why people litter, laziness or carelessness seem to be the main culprits, however carelessness is more of a mindset issue and with education and promotion of consequences I believe will go some way to reducing litter.

The other side of the spectrum is penalty and enforcement through things such as fines or community clean up days that must be attended by people that continue to litter. DCC also need to be held accountable as well by getting more bins installed and collected frequently. Ensuring that street cleans happen when they are meant to happen. There was one incident that I dealt with recently where the block of streets had not been cleaned in 17 weeks. Infrastructure needs to be in place too.

We need more bins, naturally. There are too few bins in Dublin 8. No bins equals litter. Bins also need to be collected on time and if there are spillages they need to be cleared.

Dog litter is a real nuisance as well as being a danger to public health. I’d like to see us replicate a successful community experiment where dispensers with free doggy bags were erected at entrances to parks, resulting in a significant reduction in the problem. We also need to expand the number of bins so that dog-owners can easily dispose of dog litter.

On the spot litter fines should be doubled from €150 to €300 to improve the deterrent to anyone who litters.

I would like to see the streets washed regularly. The footpaths are dirty and there is litter. I would like to see deep cleaning of streets particularly after large events like parades, community events etc.

Well again, in my constituency this is a big issue. The liberties specifically has a chronic lack of bins for people walking through the area leading to regular littering. Additionally bin bag collections in and around the Meath street area, with city seagulls ripping up these bags it has made the place feel dirtier. The council needs to take full responsibility of waste management.

Again, privatisation of waste disposal has let profit come before the greater good of a clean city. The council must reinstate and install more public litter bins on side streets, especially in the busier areas of Dublin 8 that has more footfall. I would support a campaign for responsible dog ownership and littering, employing more litter and dog wardens on to the council to tackle this issue.

Dublin can be a beautiful city to live, work or visit. However, much can be done to ensure we have a clean environment, including clean streets. I would support the process of bringing bin services back into public ownership, as well as public waste services such as bins and recycling centres.

I have asked that DCC pilot the successful Dog Poo initiative undertaken at Galway where messages are stencilled on the most soiled paths and the poo is sprayed with neon paint to highlight the issue.

Last year, we successfully pushed for an increase in street cleaning staff for the city centre. Once that comes on stream, it should make a big difference - I think we’ll need to continue that staff expansion into the more suburban parts of the city.

We also set up a working group to look at how to tackle dog poo. After meeting with councillors from London and even examining ideas like DNA testing, I am convinced that the primary solution is simply additional street cleaning resources. Signage, fines, and enforcement are important - but in practice its impacts have been sadly limited. We just need to pay for more staff and keep cleaning. I consistently spoke against attempts to cut local property tax - funding street cleaning is a big reason why.

Beyond that, I would:

• Support the rollout of bag bins and shared bins to reduce the problems caused by unprotected bin bags being torn apart.
• Use recently enacted CCTV powers to catch dumpers in areas facing regular problems.
• Hire community wardens who could work on a variety of issues, including litter fines and prevention.
• Pedestrianise more parts of the city centre, removing the choking impact that car traffic has on many of our streets
• Bring more nature and trees to concrete-heavy parts of the city.

And while it’s not a power that local government has, I would strongly support national policy that aims to reduce litter in the first place, such as policies to reduce disposable, single-use items which are the primary source of litter in our city.

Since 2013, I've led clean up efforts in Oliver Bond Flats (where I lived for 10 years) and Inchicore, sparked by the neglect I witnessed first-hand.

Realising the need for a cultural shift away from accepting filth, especially for our children's sake, I've identified key solutions:

• local clean up initiatives
• addressing absentee landlords
• improving private/council tenant awareness on waste disposal through mandatory welcome packs
• enhancing CCTV surveillance in dumping hotspots
• educational programs in schools
• advocating for waste disposal costs to be covered under the household benefits package for those in financial hardship https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social-welfare/extra-social-welfare-benefits/household-benefits-package/

I support reinstating all the public bins that have been removed in Dublin 8, to help dog owners dispose of dog waste responsibly.

I am a single issue candidate with one priority ... and one priority only ... the restoration and re-opening of the Inchicore Library building for the benifit of all the local community groups who have been deprived of a venue for their activities for the last four years.

Sinn Fein Councillors have been calling for bin services to be brought back into public ownership. I believe that when achieved this will result in a decrease in illegal dumping and is something I will work to achieve. 

I want an increase in street sweeping and litter bins to target current litter “black spots” on Meath Street and other local roads. 

In order to tackle dog fouling, I would strive to implement free dog bag stations across the south west inner city, such initiatives have been successful in other councils such as Laois County Council. 

Horse manure is also problem in the Liberties and this also needs address. 

I have counted 3 bins from Rialto village down as far the mosque on SCR, 4 bins along the entire length of Cork St.  We cannot expect people not to litter when there are simply not enough bins on our streets, I would campaign to have more bins on our streets. 

Sinn Fein councillors have been calling for bin services to be brought back into public ownership, the control of waste collection by the council is key to addressing the city’s rubbish and litter. I believe that when achieved this will result in a decrease in illegal dumping and is something I will work to achieve.

The Council, as well as helping local clean-up groups, should employ more street cleaners for local neighbourhoods and invest more in road and path repairs. A specific campaign of power-hosing our pavements to tackle dog poo, chewing gum and other dirt needs to be rolled out on an ongoing basis across the city, on local roads and streets as well as the areas where tourists visit.

Vacancy and dereliction are a blight on this area that has so much history, so much character and so much potential to be the jewel in Dublin’s crown. Aontú policy on housing includes incentivising the use of vacant properties and holding local authorities to account when it comes to the refurbishment and re-letting of these properties. Currently it takes the council, on average, 8 months to refurbish and re-let a vacant property. A private sector rental property takes 3 weeks to refurbish and re-let! One of the core tenets of Aontú’s vision for government is accountability in government and across public bodies. If elected I intend to hold Dublin City Council to account on the turnaround of vacant properties.

Regarding derelict properties, Aontú seek an increased tax on homes that are empty for over 2 years without good reason and a grant to get them back into use. Aontú also seek the increased power to compulsory purchase order (CPO) derelict houses that are the source of anti-social behaviour. Anti-social behaviour on derelict properties is a common problem in Dublin 8.

Since 2020, I have consistently identified empty buildings, sites and empty homes and brought them to the attention of the Derelict Sites Section of Dublin City Council. Vacancy and dereliction is the scourge of our cities, towns and villages across this country. It absolutely sickens me to hear dog whistles and racist tropes taking about how full the country supposedly is when we know there are buildings and sites that are crumbling before our eyes that should be used for residential development.

I think of two prominent sites I identified and got onto the Derelict Sites Register — 43-50 Dolphins Barn Street and 162-165 James’s Street. Both are located opposite major hospitals and should be used to deliver housing so that our essential workers in our hospitals have somewhere decent to live. Instead, nothing happens. As a Councillor, there are limitations as to what can be done, apart from identifying the sites and asking the Council to CPO them, but through my party leader, Ivana Bacik, in the Dáil, the issue of more powers for local authorities has been consistently raised with central Government.

Currently there is the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant which if approved means you can avail of up to €70,000.00. It’s a great initiative and has gone some way to assisting people to develop homes form vacant and derelict properties. With that being said I do believe the grant needs to be adjusted in relation to process. As it stands the grant is applied retrospectively meaning it is not as accessible as it could be. I would advocate for a similar style of process to the HTB scheme. The HTB scheme once approved pays the money to the builder directly and they can draw down on it at any given time.

There are 81,712 vacant properties and 21,140 derelict units in Ireland according to a recent report from GeoDirectory, however just one in 50 paid out to date which suggests to me that some adjustments need to be done to the scheme to allow more people to access it. The current measures in relation to vacant and derelict properties are mainly punitive and prohibitive. We have to incentives more people to engage in bringing these properties back into use and not just increase taxes and penalties.

The council needs to be quicker and more proactive about using some of the powers it already has, including around Compulsory Purchase Orders to bring vacant and derelict buildings back into use.

I would also work to ensure DCC draws down as much money as possible from national schemes like the Buy and Renew Scheme (that allows local authorities to purchase and renovate housing units in need of repair, before making them available for social housing), and the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, which assists with compact and sustainable development, and facilitates a greater proportion of residential development within the existing built-up areas.

Vacancy and dereliction represent a blight on our community and a slap in the face to the thousands of people desperately searching for a place to live. At a national level, my party is working to bring in a Vacancy Tax with real teeth.

This is the first step in addressing the housing crisis. These are properties that are already built and are falling into quick decay if the council do not act in time; properties that homeless families could move into. People Before Profits campaign on reporting derelict properties has been ongoing for several years.

A punitive tax should be applied to vacant and derelict properties if not used within a specified period to encourage owners of the property to put it back into use. Strict deadlines should be given to the council on the time it takes to turn their own vacant stock around.

I will be calling for a comprehensive audit to be carried out on vacant and derelict properties and seek to compulsory purchase houses on the vacant property register.

Sinn Féin would encourage local authorities 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.

In a housing crisis, there is nothing more galling than a vacant or derelict site in a city. I have reported several such sites to the council - several sites were put on a register and subject to tax or compulsory purchase, which eventually got them developed for housing.

When that system works, it’s brilliant and effective. But it is clear that the council’s team who work on it are underpowered and under-resourced. I would push for greater staffing in the Vacant and Derelict Sites Unit, and seek a more legally aggressive approach to such sites.

As a matter of policy or morality, it is not acceptable to have vacant or derelict sites in our city: we have laws in place to deal with it, and we should put council staff resources behind it.

Separate to that, I would also seek that we vary the city’s development plan to allow for more flexibility in turning unused commercial buildings for housing. Inflexible planning standards are making much of this work non-viable, so we need to provide more wriggle room, while maintaining necessary rules for fire safety and quality of life.

The same applies to getting the space above shops to be used as housing. We’ve tried this for decades, but I think the council needs to take a more aggressive approach to getting it done, such as doing the work itself, or providing a financial guarantee to get the work done.

Tackling vacancy and dereliction necessitates a comprehensive strategy that combines cutting-edge policy initiatives with local community involvement. The existing derelict sites list and vacant sites list kept by DCC need to be proactively managed and enforced.

The successful transformation of the rundown, derelict Bridgefoot Street area into an award-winning urban park (opened 2022) demonstrates the potential for derelict sites, to be turned into community green spaces, housing, community gardens, playgrounds etc. My efforts, such as a social media campaign for derelict The Iveagh Markets, https://www.facebook.com/IveaghMarkets underscore the importance of building public support and keeping the challenges of dereliction visible.

Addressing land speculation through effective tax measures and improving the efficiency of Dublin City Council's housing and planning procedures with digital solutions is critical to speeding up the transformation of derelict areas. Despite my reporting numerous derelict sites in Dublin 8, challenges persist due to loopholes. A holistic strategy that merges legislative changes with community engagement is essential for revitalising Dublin 8, transforming unused and dilapidated areas into vibrant centres of community life.

I am a single issue candidate with one priority ... and one priority only ... the restoration and re-opening of the Inchicore Library building for the benifit of all the local community groups who have been deprived of a venue for their activities for the last four years.

Sinn Féin would encourage local authorities to compulsory purchase derelict properties quicker and for the Council, the Land Development Agency, Digital Hub to restore or build on sites they currently holds.

The Council should give councillors monthly updates of its collection of the Derelict Sites Levy and should speed up the reallocation of vacant social homes.

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

Dublin City Council needs to be more pro-active in tackling derelict and vacant properties in the Liberties, ensuring their owners renovate them with grant aids, or CPOs to turn them into affordable rental and social homes and not a blight in our communities.

I would demand that the government release the funds to ensure quicker turnaround of vacant City Council flats and houses.

There is an urgent need for the City Council to build homes on any vacant and underutilized lands it has in Dublin 8 and beyond to address the ever-growing housing waiting list.

Based on feedback I have gotten from residents and business owners in the Dublin 8 community, feeling safe is their number one concern. The fact is, many people don’t feel safe in our community. Crime, open drug-use, vandalism, break-ins and anti-social behaviour have all increased. This needs to be tackled at several levels. Firstly, we need massive investment in the area- we need more Gardaí and more Garda visibility to deter crime and anti-social behaviour, and to enable Gardaí to respond to incidents promptly.

Safety issues need to be tackled at a community level also and can be supported by Dublin City Council. The lack of green spaces and recreational facilities is a contributing factor for young people in the area, particularly young males, turning to crime and drugs. The people of the Liberties have been waiting 12 years for green spaces at sites on Marrowbone Lane and St Teresa’s Gardens. We are still waiting for Donore Community Centre to reopen- it has been closed for 3 years since the fire that forced it to close. This is a glacial rate of progress.

Our young people deserve better and it would have a positive effect on the community as programmes and recreational facilities would provide some much needed engagement and act as an alternative to drug-taking and crime. We have some fantastic campaigners and organisations that work with young people in Dublin 8, such as the Solas Project, but we need more facilities to support this work. We also need more community Gardaí to engage with young people in the area.

We have fantastic Community Gardaí in the area but they seem to be moved on and posted to other areas far too quickly. New relationships then need to be formed with their replacements. A core part of community development is consistency and we need to ensure continuity in this process.

Residents of apartment buildings have contacted me to say that their children don’t feel safe in their own homes as non-residents are gaining access to the apartment common areas, selling/taking drugs and engaging in anti-social, intimidating behaviour. Dublin City Council needs to ensure that landlords are keeping buildings adequately secure.

Many people don’t feel safe walking the streets of Dublin 8. The sense of threat is exacerbated by lack of street lighting in certain areas and slow engagement of Dublin City Council to replace broken lights. This is a simple matter: we need sufficient lighting on the streets of Dublin 8 and the lighting needs to be maintained.

The South West Inner City Community Safety Forum does excellent work in organising safety meetings for the people of Dublin 8 where they can speak directly to representatives of Dublin City Council and to community Gardaí. These meetings are very helpful to people in the community and long may they continue. I encourage residents to set up community action groups based on their building/street and to represent them at these safety meetings.

These groups could also lobby local TDs, report concerns to Dublin City Council, as well as gain publicity for their concerns through the local media

Taking my push an calls for more visible community policing and a more proactive rather than reactive approach from Gardai as a given, from a city council point of view, two main things I think that must be done are:

1. more and better public lighting so people feel safer walking around in dark winter evenings and at night; and

2. we need to invest in our communities, in education, our youth, outreach and diversion services, our addiction services, and importantly, our community amenities, such as sports facilities, arts and drama spaces etc. – these investments pay back tenfold when it comes to occupying our young people and giving them a positive outlet.

What we have now is a distinct lack of investment in our communities—for example, not a single full-size playing pitch in the Dublin 8 area. If we don’t invest in our young people, we are doomed to repeat intergenerational inequality and disadvantage and this creates fertile ground for drug dealing gangs and other criminal elements to prey on children and young people.

For Dublin South-West Inner City we need a more visible garda presence in the area. It’s great to hear there will be 10 new recruits operating out of Kevin street, but we do need more. Making the city safe in my opinion needs a multifaceted approach which includes youth services and sporting facilities. It has been widely reported that there is a large deficit in both in the area. 3 community centres have shut down with no replacements on stream. 8500 kids without access to a playing field in Dublin 8.

Policing in our community could work so much better if there was greater co-operation and consultation with communities and local Councillors.

The Joint Policing Committees (JPCs) and especially Community Safety/Policing Forums around the country are good models. They bring together Gardaí, senior Council officials and communities to discuss crime and anti-social activity in the local area. They have been a good way of exchanging information on local issues.

However, far too few people know about them. Their effectiveness depends far too much on how active individual residents, Gardaí and Council staff are in the given area. I would look to reform the JPCs so they have a more formal role in setting local policing plans. All elected Councillors should be able to pose a limited number of questions at their local JPC and Community Safety/Policing Forum.

Gardaí should be required to provide information well in advance of meetings to allow for the smooth operation of JPCs. Contact details for the public and minutes of meetings should be clearly available on each local authority’s website and in public libraries. We will also seek to further improve co-operation between JPCs and drugs task forces.

Separate from JPCs, we will seek to ensure that all public parks and public places are well lit and safe for all users.

At a national level, Social Democrats public reps are seeking the restoration of community Gardaí staffing levels.

In order to address anti-social behaviour, we need to address where this behaviour emerges from. Most of the time it arises from socio-economic deprivation and disadvantage. Therefore the answer to this is to support disadvantaged communities by providing a pro social outlet to young people for their spare time in the form of leisure, recreation and sport facilities to reduce the risk of them causing harm.

In parts of Dublin 8, these services are oversubscribed and in decline. Young people have very little to do and often resort to their own imaginations to keep them occupied. They need to be engaged in services that will keep them out of harms way and in the company of community workers that will set their focus in exploring their hobbies and talents for self improvement.

I will be calling for an increase in these services in Dublin 8, specifically sport and community facilities which are seriously lacking in my constituency.

Communities deserve to feel safe and protected. But too many people in our capital city feel unsafe. Sinn Féin have outlined our proposals to invest in the Gardaí, so we can have more Gardaí on our streets protecting communities. 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.

In the short run, it’s an on-street police presence. Councillors don’t have direct powers over the police, but we can highlight areas where more resources are needed and consistently advocate for a greater, visible presence.

Policing alone can’t solve the city’s safety problems, however. Some of the most effective work I’ve seen in Dublin is in the community youth diversion projects, which work with people from an early age to provide them stability that they might not otherwise get at home. They provide activities, guidance, social outlets and daily ensure that young people’s lives aren’t lost to chaotic behaviour and crime. I would always ensure that council budgets and work plans support this work - much of which goes unseen.

Dublin also simply needs to be a nicer place to be - particularly in the core city centre. Reducing traffic, widening footpaths, pedestrianising areas, bringing in more nature and activity to the city, improving nightlife, expanding the network of 24 hour buses - these are practical acts of civic pride that will build a nicer, safer city.

We also can’t ignore that much of the safety problems in our city are rooted in addiction. Dublin still has a crushing heroin epidemic, along with a growing crack problem. I was the only local councillor to put in a supportive planning observation for the planned supervised injection centre in Merchant’s Quay - and I’m hopeful we can get finally it running in 2024. I know the issue is controversial, but I strongly support anything that will take addiction off our streets and into a medical environment, where people can be supported out of addiction, rather than just left to inject and overdose on the streets.

Finally, I am really concerned by the rise in xenophobic, racist, hate-filled politics in recent years. This is making the city feel hostile - and understandably migrants, people of colour and the LGBTQ+ community in Dublin feel unsafe. If elected, I’ll use my platform to stand up for a Dublin that is proudly international, welcoming, inclusive and kind. Division, hate and nastiness get us nowhere.

In this question, I concentrate on my own area of Dublin 8.

In 2019 criminologist Dr John Connolly of the University of Limerick published the report ‘Building Community Resilience’ focused on the Dublin South Central area. This comprehensive report offers an array of strategies aimed at bolstering safety and integrating policy reforms with actionable community engagement for tangible improvements.

I will support the implementation of the key findings of this expert report on Dublin 8:

• Trauma-Aware Response: Advocates for an approach that understands the deep-seated causes behind crime and antisocial behaviour, suggesting that addressing these issues at their root can lead to more effective solutions.
• Restorative Practices: Proposes establishing Dublin South Central as a leader in restorative practices, utilising both national and global methods to mitigate safety concerns, reflecting a commitment to evidence-based solutions. 
• Community Crime Impact Assessment: Recommends assessments using a variety of data and community insights to gain a nuanced understanding of crime patterns, aiding in the evaluation of intervention effectiveness.
• Improved Communication and Engagement: Highlights the necessity of enhancing communication channels between law enforcement, local governance, and the community, advocating for accessible crime data and encouraging active civic participation.
• Local Policing and Community Safety Team: Suggests creating a focused team to oversee safety strategies, emphasising training, problem-solving, and the application of restorative practices.
• Human Rights-Based Approach: Stresses the importance of a strategy that respects the rights and dignity of all community members, balancing safety initiatives with civil liberties.

I regularly engage in the community safety forum quarterly meetings in Dublin 8 and 12. My advocacy also extends to improving urban design for safety, including campaigns for better street lighting and urban planning that prioritises women’s safety. Supporting initiatives like the Building Community Resilience report and advocating for school expansions, I champion the belief that fostering positive environments for children is fundamental to cultivating a safer community. These strategies, underscored by proactive community involvement and targeted policy advocacy, aim to significantly enhance urban safety, promoting overall community well-being and resilience in Dublin South Central.

I am a single issue candidate with one priority ... and one priority only ... the restoration and re-opening of the Inchicore Library building for the benifit of all the local community groups who have been deprived of a venue for their activities for the last four years.

Sinn Féin is committed to increasing the number of Gardaí on our streets, with Kevin Street Garda Station being one of the most affected for years by huge cuts in the number of Gardaí there. 

A safer City means safer Communities, I want to be able to empower communities to not allow a minority to affect the majority. A strong community is less likely to allow antisocial behavior and creates a safer place to live. 

To do that we need support form An Garda Síochána, Dublin City Council, greater investment in youth and sports facilities in the Liberties and other communities across the city.

Most importantly we must improve the overall quality of life for everyone, and while quality housing goes someway in doing this, we need investment in meaningful activities for young people, that’s why I support having a multi-purpose sports pitch at the Marrowbone Lane site.

We also need to improve the quality of the public realm.  I would love to see more trees planted everywhere possible, studies have demonstrated beyond doubt that trees (and greenery) greatly reduce anti-social behaviour. The more people that use the public realm the safer it becomes, to encourage this I’d also be in favour of having more benches and seating areas made available.

I’d also like to have a greater Garda presence. I regularly attend the Canal Area Community Safety Forum; this is where residents get to meet Senior Gadai and DCC representatives to discuss safety issues.  At every meeting I have attended people always request more Garda.

It is essential that we can all move freely and easily around the city and this is particularly true of the elderly and infirm. The National Transport Authority should engage consistently with commuters, especially those who are heavily reliant on public transport to take part in their community. Feedback and complaints from residents need to be responded to and acted upon.

For example, if there are delays in the Bus Connects Network Redesign then robust interim arrangements need to be made for the residents affected. Reliable real-time tracking of buses would also improve commuter experience in the city, as well as more public transport available at rush hour times.

Getting people, who are able to, out of their car and onto our buses or the Luas is vital if we are to tackle our climate emissions and reduce congestion, not just in our city centre, but across our neighbourhoods and urban villages.

I support the roll out of Busconnects, however, we have to ensure that communities and local residents are informed of new changes as they are about to happen. We have to recognise that not everybody is aware of the lengthy planning processes that have gone on between the NTA and An Bord Pleanála and for most people, they will only realise change is happening when they see it in front of them—they will only realise a new bus is operating and their old one has been replaced, or that they can’t drive a certain way anymore when it confronts their daily life. That’s why it is really important, for public buy in, that we keep channels of communication open and keep communities informed of changes as they are rolling out.

Busconnects has been ongoing since before I became a Councillor in 2020, and we are seeing the plans implemented and bus routes changing on a regular basis and this is receiving some public backlash – in most instances after it has been and gone through planning. I think we need to watch for political representatives or candidates who now seek to unpick that but there also has to be room for discussion with local communities, to ask questions of why certain decisions were taken and to have them explained.

On top of actually improving the bus connections across the city, I am behind plans to reduce traffic congestion in our city centre core to make it a better place to be and spend time in. While we seek to achieve that, we must also ensure that people working in and across our city—I think of van drivers, couriers, delivery drivers, tradespeople and others—who need to get around the city centre for their livelihoods, we need to accommodate them as part of these plans.

There needs to be increased frequency on public transport and greater choice.

Buses are the work horse of the city’s transport system and for good reason.

They can be ordered, bought and put into action faster. Their routes can change as needed, and they play a much better role than anything else in reducing traffic.

Expanding services so no one is waiting longer than 15 minutes for each bus would be important, as would new routes so that not everyone has to come through the city. 

The Busconnects project has been a disappointment to a lot of communities around Dublin. The culling of relied on bus routes has caused great disruption to mostly the elderly and disabled persons daily lives and their ability to travel. Public consultation has not worked in their favour as based on feedback it’s causing more problems than improvements to public transport. Certain routes need to be reinstated or replaced for the people who are most effected by their removal. Free and frequent public transport needs to be introduced to encourage people to get out of their cars and free up the streets of traffic. Ultimately the popularity of cars will not decrease until public transport is fully accessible and reliable for workers who have to be in on time.

Road safety and accessible transport are at the heart of ensuring people can live, work and play safely in their communities. 2023 saw the highest number of deaths on our roads in almost a decade. Dublin ranked worst, in public transport, of 30 European Cities in 2023. It’s time for change.

We recognise that many children cannot safely access school without relying on a lift from parents. This can be a barrier to parents but it also reduces young people’s independence. In government we would increase funding to make getting to school safe.

The Greens nationally have made public transport a priority. Government funding is flowing for major projects like BusConnects and the Metro, both of which will be game changers for the city. Public transport use grew by 25% last year alone, which shows the value of investment.

Councillors don’t control this directly, but what we do have some say over is the allocation of road space. We need to dedicate more road space to bus lanes and give buses and the Luas more priority at junctions. It isn’t right that a bus with 60 people is stuck in traffic behind a car with just one person.

That’s why projects like the recently announced City Centre Transport Plan are so important. The Greens strongly back it because it gives people and buses priority in our core city centre - not just more car sprawl. A big issue is the reliability and predictability of buses. In practice, this is often down to buses being caught in traffic, which is why we need to give them their own priority lanes.

I’ve seen how politically difficult it is to take road space away from cars for bus or bike lanes, but I am firmly determined to see it done. If we want more road space for public transport, walking and cycling, we need to elect councillors who will stand up to extreme pressure from the motoring lobby.

I would also strongly support the council using cameras to detect red light breakers and illegal bus lane users, to make public transport flow more smoothly. This sort of work would also work best with improved provision of disabled parking spaces and commercial loading bays.

And while it’s not a local government power, I would push to expand the number of 24 hour bus routes (currently ten routes) and advocate for a system where you can pay your fare with a phone or bank card, as elsewhere.

My dedication to enhancing public transport in Dublin 8 has been consistent. 

I've actively engaged with J C Decaux regarding bus shelter maintenance, regularly reporting graffiti issues over the past three years. Despite facing obstacles, such as reaching a dead-end while lobbying the NTA for new bus shelters in Inchicore, I remain committed to improving our community's transport infrastructure. That's why I seek the community's mandate to lobby the NTA as an elected Councillor for more bus shelters across Dublin 8, 10, and 12. 

In the Dart + South West line consultations, I identified a significant 3 km gap between Cherry Orchard station and Heuston West (a new station), which I deemed unfair. Through grassroots efforts, I gathered 250 individual submissions advocating for a new Dart station at Kylemore in Ballyfermot. I'm pleased to announce that a feasibility study for this station is underway, reflecting my vision for a more inclusive and expansive public transport network in our area.

I'm a firm believer in making public transport accessible to all. While many can benefit from tax-efficient commuter travel cards or social welfare ‘free travel’ cards, urban school children are often overlooked. I'm committed to lobbying for subsidies or free travel for urban children during term time, akin to the rural school transport scheme, ensuring equitable access to education. Additionally, I'll push for every bus shelter in Dublin 8, 10, and 12 to have a public bin, promoting cleanliness. I also support a new Garda public transport unit.

I am a single issue candidate with one priority ... and one priority only ... the restoration and re-opening of the Inchicore Library building for the benifit of all the local community groups who have been deprived of a venue for their activities for the last four years.

Dublin Bus need more buses and need to stick to the timetables promised and I will strive to work to create a comprehensive plan for Dublin’s public transport ensuring that it is safe, efficient and on time. 

I lived in London when the then Mayor Ken Livingston to much criticism saturated the city with low-cost buses, the result, it was a total success, I would like to see a similar approach taken in Dublin.

Along with greater bus numbers we need proper enforcement of Bus Lane use. I would like to see an end to car clamping where they are not an obstacle to be replaced with ticketed fines and where they are blocking bus lanes, they need to be towed and clamped in a safe area.

The maintenance of streets and footpaths is essential for safety for all of us. Certain areas, such as Thomas Street, are very busy and have heavy footfall. These need to be deemed ‘Grade A’ as regards street-cleaning by Dublin City Council. Clear signage and traffic signals for motorists is important. Pedestrian crossings need to be highly visible and the zebra-crossing paint maintained. Citizen Hub on the Dublin City Council website is a facility whereby requests can be made, information accessed and reports/complaints issued.

Residents of Dublin 8 have complained of the lack of engagement from Dublin City Council when contacted through the Citizen Hubs. If elected I would pursue a policy of prompt acknowledgement and response to issues raised through the Citizen Hub, especially in the maintenance of roads and footpaths.

In addition to the above on improving public transport, we have to roll out a better Active Travel Network across the city, which I fully support. Just as we are encouraging those to leave the car at home to take public transport, there are a group of people who will cycle if it is safer for them. We have to prioritise the roll out of our Active Travel Network across the city and ensure this is done equally. I highlighted the unequal allocation of investment in my own area of Dublin South Central compared to other DCC areas. Better cycling and walking infrastructure shouldn’t depend on your post code.

Community engagement and consultation is important when it comes to the roll out of these projects. In one instance along James’s Walk where Rialto and Fatima Luas is, there was a decision taken to make this street one-way for driving and to enable a two-way cycle path. This plan for this relatively small stretch of road was subject to extensive community consultation and tweaks were made along the way which brought about community buy-in. Some might well say we don’t have time to consult with communities in this level of detail along the way in the face of our climate crisis, and yes, I absolutely hear and that and would tend to agree, however, I think there are occasions when detailed consultation is required.

With the exception of a few “Bottle necks” Dublin 8 is fairly well served with bike lanes. There is a need for far greater traffic safety measures so that all road users have a better experience.

I cycle to work in Ballymun from Dublin 8 every week. My children cycle to school and my husband also cycles to work. I would like to see more safe routes throughout the city for cyclists. I see near misses most weeks on the roads, whether that is cyclists or pedestrians.

I want to see a continuation of schemes to widen footpaths and increase the amount of proper segregation for safer cycling and improved infrastructure around this.

This should of course be done in consultation with the communities in which the work is being carried out.

I would like to see the already existing cycle paths maintained to a higher standard than they currently are.

I will be calling for an increase in protected cycle lanes with bollards and clear signage to ensure cyclists can feel safe and comfortable sharing the roads with other road users. These lanes should ideally be introduced alongside free, reliable and fully accessible public transport so that traffic can be reduced significantly to free up road space. A reduction in car dependency will also help reduce emissions and the harm that causes pedestrians.

Ensuring more active travel, such as cycling and walking, will be a key way to tackle the climate crisis. In order to ensure this is realistic, people must feel confident that they can do so safely.

We support auditing all footpaths and putting in place a programme of footpath restoration so everyone can walk and move around their local area confidently.

Three things: infrastructure, speed limits, and timing.

For infrastructure, I would aim to rapidly roll out zebra crossings at minor junctions across the city. New national rules allow us to do that in a quick, cheap way, and the city council should be jumping at the opportunity to make life safer and easier for pedestrians. That, combined with improved and widened footpaths would really improve things for pedestrians - particularly those who need extra time or space.

The council have recently gone from having just one or two cycling infrastructure staff to over 30. We need to follow through on their work and build a proper network of segregated cycling infrastructure - not just small bits of unconnected lanes. That’s especially important near schools. This work will be politically difficult - it will need the backing of dedicated councillors who strongly believe in the cycling and walking agenda.

On top of that infrastructure, we should also roll out bike bunkers for terraced housing, more safe bike parking in town (as on Drury Street), and try to expand the areas covered by Dublin Bikes and stationless bikes.

Benches are also key to ensure that people who are walking can get a rest - I am really surprised how much pressure there is to remove public seating, but I think it’s absolutely necessary for the city.

For speed limits, we had a really disappointing vote in the current council, which rejected plans to reduce most speed limits in Dublin City to 30kph. I would like to revive that plan, fix any problems, and rebuild a political majority in favour of safer, slower car traffic. I would also like to see it enforced by cameras and Gardaí.

Finally, timing. Many of the lights in our junctions at busy periods heavily prioritise cars - at the expense of people walking. Look at the corner of Dame Street and George’s St, or the pedestrian crossings at O’Connell Street Bridge. You will see hundreds of pedestrians forced to wait for car traffic to pass, which inexplicably enjoys more time. I want junction timing that prioritises disabled people, pedestrians, bikes, public transport - in that order.

To enhance pedestrian and cyclist safety in Dublin, several strategic measures can be undertaken. 

Firstly, addressing organised bike theft through heightened law enforcement and community awareness initiatives is essential. Additionally, providing financial support to primary and secondary schools in Dublin 8 to install secure bike parking facilities will encourage more students to cycle, thereby reducing traffic congestion and pollution. Advocating for free school bus passes for children and youth will further alleviate traffic by promoting the use of public transportation. 

Investing in public transportation infrastructure, including expanding cycling lanes and improving pedestrian pathways, will provide safer alternatives to driving for short-distance trips. Educational campaigns aimed at fostering pedestrian and cyclist safety, along with community engagement in urban planning decisions, will ensure inclusivity and responsiveness to local needs. By implementing these measures, a safer and more pedestrian-friendly city environment can be cultivated, encouraging a shift towards walking and cycling as preferred modes of transport.

I am a single issue candidate with one priority ... and one priority only ... the restoration and re-opening of the Inchicore Library building for the benifit of all the local community groups who have been deprived of a venue for their activities for the last four years.

Sinn Féin is supporting a program for footpath restoration and I believe further steps can taken to tackle problems of accessibility of our footpaths. 

People living with disabilities have highlighted to me their difficulties on our city streets, and this needs improvement as part of a wider strategy for safer city for cycling and pedestrians. 

Road safety and accessible transport are at the heart of ensuring people can live, work and play safely in their communities. I support Sinn Fein’s plans to increase funding for road and safety ensuring more active travel, such as cycling and walking.

We support auditing all footpaths and putting in place a programme of footpath restoration so everyone can walk and move around their local area confidently.

Dublin 8 is a vibrant and welcoming community with a plethora of spaces for people of every creed and culture and I am pleased to report that so far nobody has brought any concerns to me on a rise in hatred. However, we must always be mindful of hostile attitudes towards anyone in our community and attitudes that denigrate people because of their sexual orientation/ethnicity should be challenged. Obviously, arson is illegal and anyone committing this crime should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

I also think we need to be careful with the term “far-right” and apply it correctly and with great caution when discussing immigration issues. There is a danger that people are termed “far right” simply for raising concerns about whether or not supports and infrastructure in their area can cope with additional demand that the government has placed there.

This is obviously a failure of government planning and certainly a lack of consultation with the community that has only succeeded in damaging trust and goodwill between the community and the decision-makers. Concerned people should be free to criticise government policies that affect our communities without fear of being labelled.

In Dublin 8 is one of the most progressive, open and welcoming parts of our city and of our country. But we can’t pretend that racism and hate doesn’t exist and speaking from my own privileged position as a white Irish male, I can say I have seen an uptick in racist hateful speech in my presence.

Whether that be getting a haircut in my local barber, talking to people in the community, in the local pub or wherever. I don’t think there is much value in challenging one racist view at a time and picking off a racist to have a row with—there is a time and a place for doing this—but what’s more important is creating the conditions in our society that is hostile to that speech, hostile to people thinking it is okay to speak about vulnerable minorities in such hateful ways.

That is why it is incredibly disheartening to see Sinn Féin in particular, the supposed leaders of the left in Ireland, turn their back on the hate speech legislation currently working its way through the Dáil. They voted for it and when the wind blew in a slightly different direction following the recent referendums, they decided to run in that direction.

A recent ESRI report shows that over 7 in 10 of us have a positive view of immigration. Those living in rented accommodation, more likely to be younger people and living the realities of our housing crisis, have a more positive view of immigration than those who own their home, who are more likely to be older.

We are progressive, we are open, we are tolerant and we must reclaim the narrative on these issues and not allow a tiny hateful minority pull the country rightwards as we have seen in other European countries.

Misinformation is the biggest issue in this area. The best way to combat this, is to be transparent, engage with all communities and allow for dialogue with established communities and new ones that may be entering.

There is always a need to discuss how to ensure that people are treated fairly and equitably. There is definitely a need to engage people who feel disenfranchised and who do not feel listened to, discussion and open communication is central to creating safe and inclusive communities.

I have worked in education and youth work all my adult life. I would like Dublin to be an inclusive and welcoming place for everyone who lives and visits here.

When our society is fully resourced and functioning there is less animosity. There is less need to fight for a scarcity of housing, places to enjoy ourselves, childcare, school places and healthcare facilities. But when communities are starved of such facilities and they feel they are not listened to there is a rise in animosity.

There should be no place in our community for hatred, violence or intimidation. I feel strongly that people should live their lives without fear of being who they are and reaching their full potential. There is no place for discrimination on the basis of where someone comes from, who they love, their ability or their gender.

As a People Before Profit Councillor I work closely with community groups in an effort to increase diversity and ensure those from all backgrounds feel welcome and included in our community. I work to build our local For All group to help counter the false information regarding immigration and asylum seeking in Ireland. We continue to stand up against those that try to deny the most vulnerable safety and access to accommodation. Special attention must be given to ensure no level of hate or discrimination is tolerated against the LGBTQI+ community.

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

The rise of the hateful, xenophobic and homophobic politics is really unwelcome development. It’s a go-nowhere ideology, based on imagined grievances and intolerance. It’s not my worldview, nor that of my party, so I will always stand up for a welcoming, inclusive, and kind Dublin.

Politicians should not indulge these kind of politics and stand clearly against them. And, while our formal powers over these areas are limited, councillors can use our platforms to speak up against them. I had a unanimously agreed motion last year about protecting city library staff from homophobic attacks and attempts to destroy LGBTQ+ books - something which we have sadly seen across the country.

We’ve also seen real unity across all parties and none after the Dublin riots on the council, which was very positive and constructive. Similarly, Dubliners have worked together really well in groups like “Inchicore for All”, which has taken practical steps to welcome migrants and people seeking asylum into our communities.

Along with housing, the rise of hateful politics is one of the most worrying challenges facing our city: we should elect people who stand against hate, rather than those who would accommodate or promote it.

To counter the surge in far-right sentiments, anti-immigrant hostility, and attacks against marginalised communities like the LGBTQ+ and asylum-seekers, both short-term and long-term strategies are imperative. 

In the immediate time frame, I would prioritise encouraging victims to report incidents through accessible platforms like INAR for racist incidents https://inar.ie/ireport-racism-reporting-system/ or directly to the Gardaí for hate crimes https://www.garda.ie/en/reportahatecrime/. Garda response times can be slow. 

Personally, I had to get a guard dog in 2021, as a deterrent after an unprovoked, identity-based attack on my home. Guard dogs can also help in deterring burglary. Many families in Dublin 8 are choosing to send their children to martial arts classes to learn self-defence. Raising public awareness about the prevalence and detrimental effects of hate crimes is paramount, emphasising the significance of reporting and seeking assistance in emergency situations through dedicated hotlines like 999.

I am a single issue candidate with one priority ... and one priority only ... the restoration and re-opening of the Inchicore Library building for the benifit of all the local community groups who have been deprived of a venue for their activities for the last four years.

As a member of the LGBTQ+ community and having worked on immigration matters I have seen first-hand the problems that have arisen. More community involvement and further integration projects are required to stop the “us and them” mentality with greater public information and education on why people are coming to this country, anti-Gay and hate speech, assaults and harassment. A greater Garda presence on the streets will also help prevent attacks before they happen. Sinn Féin have been calling for a Fair and Just immigration policy. 

Dublin has for so many decades been known as the welcoming city, we should not let this change

As an Irish migrant who lived in London for 17yrs I know firsthand what it feels like to be met with lies and hostility. I take the threat posed to our community by the far right very serious which is why in 2020 I came together with members of our community to form a group to tackle this rising problem. I suggested we name the group No Hate for Dublin 8, as hate is not a community value, we are a cross party, cross group collection of community activists who firmly believe that there should be no tolerance of intolerance, the community is for everyone.

I’m also involved in Le Cheile, and Drimnagh for All.