The Green Party introduced its Dublin Manifesto today with a pledge to radically improve life in the capital.
If the Green Party proposals are legislated for by the next Government, they say Dubliners can look forward to available and affordable housing, rent controls, separated waste collections for all households, and a public transport system that would shave hours off commuting times every week.
Cllr Ciaran Cuffe, a candidate in Dún Laoghaire, said the housing crisis was the greatest threat to the economic, social and environmental development of the city.
"The Green Party wants to stop the urban sprawl that has given us soulless commuter belts rather than communities," he said.
"To increase the housing stock closer to the city centre, and to deflate the price bubble, we will extend the first-time buyers grant to people buying second-hand homes and we will abolish stamp duty for people trading down to a smaller house, thus freeing up family homes for those who really need them".
If in the next Government, the Green Party says it will commit €2 billion to upgrading the DART and the suburban rail lines. The party said it would also ensure LUAS and the Quality Bus Corridors are completed quickly.
Mr John Gormley TD, candidate for Dublin South East, said Dublin is becoming an undesirable place to live for many people. "Teachers and nurses can’t afford to live here. One in four kids in certain parts of the city suffer from asthma. Traffic and air pollution have become intolerable and the quality of life has deteriorated dramatically during this Government.
The Green Party is running 12 candidates in Dublin.
Other proposals in its manifesto include:
- Allowing one months' notice for every five months tenancy and cap rent increases to 5 per cent on top of inflation.
- Giving every household the choice of a recycling bin or a local recycling depot.
- Developing a new National Park along the Liffey Valley.
- Providing a new playground in every neighbourhood, and
- Opposing the "Bertie Bowl".
