How would you help get more housing built in the city – especially social and affordable housing?
Sinn Fein has pledged to deliver the biggest social and affordable housing in the history of the state.
A large development locally has been bought by a vulture fund, locking local people out of the market. Sinn Fein will stop Vulture funds buying up family homes.
A local post office in Crumlin village has been place on the market for sale. Sinn Fein had proposed that Dublin City Council buy this site and develop as public housing for senior citizens or disabled adults. It is in a prime location in Crumlin Village which is close to all amenities, transport, shops, church, post office credit unions and other facilities. We will continue to campaign and support public housing in Crumlin
How would you help improve conditions in existing housing, both social and privately rented?
People should not have to live in damp, mouldy or unmaintained homes. Locally many maintenance complaints I have received have been about delays in essential maintenance being carried out. As a result of the privatisation of many aspects of public housing maintenance, bureaucratic delays occur, with tenants awaiting private contractors to carry out essential work. Sinn Fein has proposed significant increases in Government funding for Councils to maintain, refurbish and retrofit Council homes.
Many in my area are waiting years for retrofitting to take place. Relations of senior citizens have remarked to me that their aged parents will be dead before the retrofit takes place. Not good enough for anyone especially our vulnerable and senior citizens. These delays are commonplace and are a feature on the door step during this campaign.
What would you do to help make the city feel less dirty, tackling the rubbish and dog poo all over the streets?
Sinn Fein councillors on Dublin City Council have been active and successful in getting agreement on Dublin City Council to bring bins and waste services back into public ownership. As legislation is required for this hugely important issue, our colleague Darren O'Rourke [TD] is working at Committee level to bring legislation forward. I will continue this work in Dublin city Council if elected. Dog fouling is a very annoying issue for local people. I have asked Dublin City Council to improve signage, bins and enforcement.
What would you do to help tackle vacancy and dereliction?
Sinn Fein would encourage local authorities to compulsory purchase and return to use derelict properties alongside increased utilisation of the Buy and Renew scheme. We would request monthly updates to increase the collection of the Derelict sites levy and to speed up the return of vacant social homes.
What needs to be done to make the city feel safer?
Sinn Fein has proposed to invest in Gardai, deal with recruitment and retention so that our communities feel safer. We would introduce a public transport policing unit to ensure people feel safe using public transport. I participate in Dublin 12 Safety Forum, which brings together gardai, local sports groups, residents associations and local interested people to discuss and put forward solutions to safety concerns of citizens.
What needs to be done to improve public transport in the city?
Bus Connects attempts to improve bus services have impacted bus users locally negatively. The changes to the 83 and 18 bus services has left many bus users in the Crumlin area without services they had used previously. We have been representing these local concerns to both Bus Connects and NTA, with varying degrees of success. We will continue to make these representations until the essential bus services are returned. This has seriously affected many in our area, in particular senior citizens and those with mobility problems, cutting them off from essential services and amenities along the old route.
What should be done to make it nicer and safer for people to get around the city on foot and by bike?
For pedestrians and cyclists roads and footpaths must be maintained. Locally improvements were to be made to a stretch along the canal. Some of the footpaths have been left unfinished , unusable and dangerous for pedestrians, wheelchair users and people wheeling buggies, as a result of a contractor suddenly going out of business.
Dublin City Council should directly maintain roads and footpaths. I will continue to follow up this issue with Dublin City Council. Traffic calming measures, traffic ligh sequencing and road speed must be addressed, and enforcement is necessary to improve road safety and encourage pedestrian and cyclist safety on our roads and streets.
What would you do to help counter the rise of the far right, anti-immigrant and anti-LGBTQ+ hate, and anti-asylum-seeker arsons?
Many local people have stepped up to the mark, reached out and tried to ensure they can help those who come to Ireland to seek refuge. Where the Department has worked with local people there has been a welcome and an effort to ensure there is a space for men, women and children. Communities have also said they need additional services to help with their work, whether it is GP services or helping out schools which require extra resources. Where there is lack of resources, anger can often be misplaced.
The anger should be directed towards government for its failures. There should never be anger in any shape or form directed at those who are down on their luck in the same way that Irish people after the Famine went to other countries around the world to seek refuge, and new life. A small but highly vocal group of racists and bigots have attempted to stoke up fears about those coming here fleeing wars and seeking protection
Arson attacks on accommodation for asylum seekers have no place in our society.