As a Sinn Fein councillor I would be working to deliver on the Sinn Fein housing policy that includes :

• Build 21,000 social and affordable homes – 7,300 more than government target – as part of the biggest house building programme in the history of the state
• Put one month’s rent (up to €2,000) back into renters pockets and ban increases for three years
• Introduce temporary, targeted mortgage interest relief – This would cover 30% of increased interest payments up to a max of €1,500. There have been ten increases in interest rates with 40% of mortgage holders paying at least an additional €3,000 a year

Within Dublin the local authorities do not have the capacity or resources to fully assess and inspect private rental properties and therefore cannot be effective in ensuring compliance with the standards. We need to increase the staffing and resources allocated to relevant departments as a priority to ensure all rented accommodations come up to an acceptable standard. Furthermore, no tenant should be hesitant to report issues with their home for fear of repercussions.

Back in 2019, Sinn Fein started the ‘Take Back the Bins’ campaign. We are the only state in Europe with a completely privatised waste collection service, and this has led to massive illegal dumping. Some areas in Dublin have up to 12 private bin companies which are too expensive, and are lacking in regulation. If the bin services are taken back into public ownership this will help tackle illegal dumping.

In relation to the dog poo, figures released by Dublin City Council show just eight fines were issued between 2019 and 2023 with just one fine for dog fouling paid. We need more staff to issue the fines and we need more awareness campaigns around the impact of dog poo on footpaths especially for people who are visually impaired and wheelchair users.

As Dublin City Councillor I would lobby to restore the funding that was cut to Dublin City Council budget to restore “voids”. Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the Green party cut the 2024 budget by a drop of €15 million on 2023's funding. The lack of funding means vacant council houses will stay `boarded up' due to funding. There are about 500 council homes in Dublin city waiting to be refurbished , 500 homes that could be made available.

An increase in Garda presence is required which in turn means looking at the recruitment and retention within Garda Síochána , this would include a Dublin Allowance for members. Alongside this, we need to ensure we have adequate lighting in areas that are prone to be dark at night, more CCTV in strategic locations to deter anti-social behaviour and crime. Also this could be used to provide evidence in the event of a crime.

Local communities should be supported to set up Neighbourhood Watch programs, thus creating a safer community by Involving the community: Encouraging community members to participate in safety initiatives and be proactive in reporting incidents .

For me the priority would be to ensure that everyone can access public transport safely. Here in the Donaghmede LEA we have Clongriffin Dart station that has been made accessible for wheelchair users by the failure to provide lifts that work and are maintained and repaired immediately if out of order.

For me “nicer” should be secondary to more accessible. We need to be aware of wheelchair users and people with restricted mobility while making plans for cycle / footpaths. We need to get the correct balance to ensure safety and accessibility for everyone. In relation to safety we need to examine the legalities around the use of electric bikes and scooters to prevent more fatalities. We need to have dedicated public transport safety forums to tackle antisocial behaviour on public transport.

Effective communication and consultation within our local community groups would be a strong starting point. The Government's lack of communication, lack of planning and failure to engage with local communities has built mistrust and genuine anxiety within communities across Dublin.

A small number of people with extreme views whether it be about anti-immigrant or anti-asylum have taken advantage of the lack of trust and communication from the current government. They use this weakness as an opportunity to build groups and pit communities against each other.

It's not the minority groups in our society that are to blame, it’s not the LGBTQ+ community that failed to build a community centre or a library in your area, it's not the asylum seeker who has created this homeless crisis, it's the government.