How would you help get more housing built in the city – especially social and affordable housing?
A multifaceted approach is required to meet the urgent demand for more housing, particularly social and affordable options. First and foremost, increased density and development within Dublin's industrial estates are critical, but we must go further. Our planning system must be more transparent, allowing for the quick and efficient approval of housing projects.
Furthermore, we must ensure that new developments are supported by necessary infrastructure, such as childcare facilities and shops, in order to foster sustainable communities.
How would you help improve conditions in existing housing, both social and privately rented?
Improving living conditions in social and private housing is critical. Regular inspections and maintenance of social housing are critical to maintaining standards. We must also support initiatives that improve building standards and insulation in existing homes. Furthermore, the council must actively address cases in which private rentals fail to follow regulations, providing assistance as needed.
What would you do to help make the city feel less dirty, tackling the rubbish and dog poo all over the streets?
The cleanliness of our streets is an important concern for most residents. We need to establish more frequent cleaning schedules, which have been neglected for far too long. Increasing the number of bin collections and installing more public bins and dog waste disposal facilities in residential areas are critical steps. Furthermore, encouraging community engagement through initiatives such as tidy towns fosters collective responsibility for the environment.
What would you do to help tackle vacancy and dereliction?
Vacancy and dereliction blight our communities and must be addressed proactively. Initiatives should focus on rehabilitating vacant and derelict properties, possibly through council intervention and offering them as social housing, or encouraging owners to rehabilitate their properties and participate in schemes such as the HAP programme.
What needs to be done to make the city feel safer?
To ensure our city's safety, we need to take a comprehensive approach. Increasing the number of Garda patrols is critical for addressing systemic issues that contribute to crime, such as a lack of services and support for vulnerable communities. Furthermore, investing in recreational facilities and after-school activities for youth provides positive outlets and opportunities for personal growth.
What needs to be done to improve public transport in the city?
Improving public transit infrastructure is critical to the city's efficiency and accessibility. Expedited building of systems such as FingLUAS and Metrolink is critical. Furthermore, speeding the adoption of BusConnects while addressing community concerns is key. Increasing night bus service in densely populated regions and allowing bicycles on busses and LUAS during off-peak hours should be investigated to encourage active commuting.
What should be done to make it nicer and safer for people to get around the city on foot and by bike?
Improving pedestrian and bike infrastructure is critical to promote alternate modes of transportation. The city is widening walkways, creating greenways, and building active travel routes to prioritise pedestrian and cyclist safety and convenience. Furthermore, establishing more bicycle parking spaces in high-traffic locations promotes sustainable commuting habits and is an objective of mine.
What would you do to help counter the rise of the far right, anti-immigrant and anti-LGBTQ+ hate, and anti-asylum-seeker arsons?
Combating the rise of far-right beliefs and hate crimes needs a collaborative effort between the community and local government. Active engagement with communities to address concerns and communicate progress is critical. Effective techniques include promoting multicultural events and cultivating a sense of community unity and inclusion.
Furthermore, addressing underlying concerns such as housing insecurity will help reduce social tensions and improve cohesion. My personal campaign will be a monument to these ideas of inclusion and acceptance, being an immigrant myself who was welcomed with open arms to this country more than 25 years ago.