Question 1

What are your party's most immediate housing policy priorities?

Accepted Answer

In the Green Party our most immediate housing policy priority is addressing the affordable housing crisis. This is the first and most critical step to addressing the larger housing dilemas facing Ireland.   The cornerstone of our housing policy is to undertake a massive programme of building public housing on public land. In tandem with this programme, we will: - Phase out subsidies to private landlords such as the Housing Assistance Payment and the Rental Accommodation Scheme.  - Pull back on inflationary - Demand side interventions in the home purchase market. These are essentially social transfers from the taxpayer to developers and builders which are paid through increased house prices. No Help-to-Buy or SSIAstyle scheme can compete with the value of a major public home-building programme.   We know this is only the first step in addressing the larger problem, for a more complete outline of our plan please check out our Policy on Housing plan here:   https://www.greenparty.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Housing-Paper-.pdf

Question 2

What is your vision for housing in Ireland?

Accepted Answer

In the Green Party our housing policy sets out the practical measures that we can take to achieve our vision for housing by 2030. After this decade of change we will have succeeded in smoothing out the damaging boom-bust cycles in the property market. We will have dramatically reduced homelessness and the financial stress associated with housing. Our communities will be well serviced by childcare facilities, schools and public transport and commuting times will be drastically reduced. Finally, the environmental and economic costs of poor planning decisions and energy inefficient construction will have been slashed.

Question 3

How do you plan to implement green initiatives within the Dublin South West community?

Accepted Answer

As the Teachta Dála for Dublin South West I have been working with the community to build green spaces such as the new eco park called a Stepping Stone Forest being planted in Sean Walsh. I am also working to build sustainable housing in our constituency which will help to address the housing crisis in Dublin. These houses will be built using the highest eco models and green materials. Additionally my team and I have worked hard to push for restoration of local historic and cultural monuments, and will continue to do so to create more, and better kept sites for our community and families to visit.

Question 4

How can I get involved locally with the Green Party?

Accepted Answer

At the Green Party we welcome all people and have many social associate organizations such as the Young Greens, Queer Greens, and Mná Glasa. You can become a member, or volunteer locally with regular meetings, events, marches, protests, social events etc.   For more information on how to join check out our website:   https://my.greenparty.ie/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=5   For more information on what is happening in your local community click here:   https://www.greenparty.ie/local-groups/