Q: How would you help improve conditions in existing housing, both social and privately rented?
Good quality housing is the cornerstone of a healthy community, and I’m committed to ensuring we achieve high standards across the board. In social housing, this will involve a significant increase in maintenance budgets, so that repairs are undertaken in a timely fashion and urgent issues like mould, draughts or poor ventilation can be resolved quickly. We also need to adequately support an ongoing programme of work to upgrade social housing so it’s healthy, warm and energy efficient and the quality of life for residents is improved.
It’s important that we continue to expand direct labour and apprenticeships within Dublin City Council, addressing any skills shortages and ensuring this work continues to progress. As Green councillors we sought apprenticeships, which Dublin City Council are now actively recruiting for, and we advocated for increased resources for direct labour which DCC implemented in 2023.
To improve life for renters, I will advocate for more resources for the council’s private rental inspection team, to bolster their ability to enforce minimum standards and safeguard tenants’ rights. By prioritising regular inspections, we can hold landlords accountable and uphold the rights of renters. Additionally, the tenant-in-situ scheme, which empowers the council to purchase homes from at-risk private tenants, remains a valuable tool in preventing evictions and ensuring housing security, and again, my hope is that more cost rental housing will drive down rents and contribute to a higher standard of affordable, secure, quality rental accommodation.
Additionally, I return to the point that we need to be building communities not ‘units’. As chair of Dublin City’s Local Community Development Committee I played a significant role in developing Dublin’s next Local Economic and Community Plan and in discussions around housing we saw a universal recognition of the importance of community services and civic amenities. Parks and playgrounds and community spaces are not ‘nice to have’ add ons that can be delivered years after housing – they’re just as essential to the quality of life of residents as the four walls around them and the roof over their head; invaluable for families, young people, social activity and community cohesion.
