Many people underestimate the links between City Council and Government when it comes to getting houses built. Hopefully a strong team of Sinn Féin councillors will work tirelessly, alongside a hopefully soon to be led Sinn Féin led government, to deliver what Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party have failed to do for too long.

Sinn Féin’s alternative budget for 2024 set out to deliver greater investment for housing, increasing targets to match demand, cutting out unnecessary red tape which can cause delays of up to two years before a shovel hits the ground, speed up planning, use new modern technology to build and change tax codes to incentivise building of affordable homes. I think we have an abundance of office space and hotels at this stage. Believe it or not there are still lots of vacant sites around Dublin City which are prime for being used for housing development.

This is honestly one of the biggest issues I come across when listening to council tenants around the inner city. Many council homes around areas such as Sheriff Street and Summerhill, and throughout the older flat complexes are in terrible condition. People are living with damp, mould, old rotting and leaking windows and doors and experiencing unacceptable huge delays for simple repairs, or delays for upgrades in order to make homes suitable for people with mobility or disability needs. It is heartbreaking at times.

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. 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.

The dog poo situation drives me bonkers. I am an absolute lover of dogs and pets in general and I simply can not understand how or why some dog owners refuse to pick up after their dog. The thought of a child getting in trouble for walking dog poo through the house, an elderly person stepping in it, or a person using a wheelchair or mobility scooter having to clean it off their wheels is infuriating.

Everyone needs to have greater respect for their community and understand the impact of their neglectful behaviour. There should be more public bins and poo bag dispensers readily available, and on the spot fines if necessary.

Regarding rubbish, 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. There is a definite trend of illegal dumping increasing as private waste collection companies increase their charges. I volunteer regularly with my local community clean up group and witness this first hand. Waste collection should never have ben privatised in my opinion.

The amount of vacant and derelict properties within the inner city is shocking. Walk 15 minutes in any direction around the inner city and you will see dozens of examples, whether they be vacant homes, derelict buildings such as the beautiful Aldborough House on Portland Row, or the historic Conway’s Pub on Parnell Street. Many of these are lying idle for years, often left to rot and become an eyesore within our communities. I would encourage council authorities to carry out compulsory purchases where possible and return these properties to suitable use. The derelict sites levy also needs to be improved to speed up the return of vacant social homes.

We need to invest in our Gardaí. We need more Gardaí on our streets protecting communities and we need to immediately solve the current recruitment and retention crisis within the Gardaí. We are seeing huge numbers resigning, or taking early retirement, as it is an extremely tough job with long hours, an often hostile working environment, along with huge amounts of paperwork and court appearances. Gardaí are becoming burned out.

Unsurprisingly to many in 2023 Dublin ranked worst, in public transport, of 30 European cities. It’s time for that to change. Safe and accessible transport is at the heart of ensuring people can live, work and play safely. Nobody would ever be forced to give up their car, but many people would do so gladly, or dramatically reduce their car use, if adequate and reliable bus, train and tram services exist.

The LUAS extensions and Dublin MetroLink are absolutely vital in this. The introduction of a public transport policing unit to ensure people can feel safe while using public transport is also something I would advocate for.

Our weather doesn’t exactly help us here and unfortunately, I can not change that, but I do like the saying ‘there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes’. Similar to people getting out of their cars if there is good public transport, many others will gladly walk or cycle a lot more if we have safe footpaths and bicycle lanes.

I would support auditing all footpaths/cycle lanes and putting in place a programme of footpath/cycle lane restoration so everyone can walk and move around their local area confidently. These improvements may also take the burden away from some parents who do not feel safe letting their children walk/cycle/use public transport to get to school alone. This can be a barrier to parents, but it also reduces young people’s independence.

As an inner city youth during the 1980’s and 90’s, and young adult in the 2000’s I was often discriminated against due to stereotyping and prejudice. I loathe any form of discrimination whether it be based on race, gender, social class, sexuality, or anything else. I believe fundamentally in equality and fairness within all of society and will always use my voice to promote those values.

Being from East Wall I was involved in huge amounts of community discussions and solidarity actions relating to the Direct Provision Centre which opened here in 2022. I actively spoke out against protests taking place outside the centre where vulnerable people were living, and against some of the disgusting language and baseless accusations we heard and observed.

I respect people’s right to protest however, there are wrong ways to protest and I will call these out when I see them. 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.