Housing is the biggest issue facing Dublin, according to Green Party leader Eamon Ryan.

On The Hard Shoulder today, he said solving the housing crisis would bring a “vitality” to the city that has been missing in recent years.

It comes as a task force, headed by An Post CEO David McRedmond, has been established to examine what needs to be done to rejuvenate the city.

Minister Ryan said “housing is the first thing” that needs solving.

“It’s the most important thing Dublin needs, particularly in the city centre,” he said.

“The epicentre of our housing problem is in Dublin 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, - it’s in our inner-city areas.

“We don’t just need homes to accommodate people, we need homes to bring vitality back into the city centre.

“More housing is part of creating a living city in my opinion.”

Transport

The Green Party leader thinks transport is the second biggest issue facing Dublin.

“The city is in gridlock at the moment,” he said.

“We’re about to address that this summer when we’ll see a start to the process of taking ‘through traffic’ out of the city centre.”

An aerial view of Dublin city. Image: Lensmen Photographic Agency / Alamy Stock Photo

Minister Eamon Ryan said the task force will be important for Dublin’s future development.

“It’s important to get out of silos and work with people,” he said.

“This is a very short project, it’s three months, and what it’s designed to do is give some indicators as to what more needs to be done.”

Grand Canal operation

The Green Party leader said asylum seekers were moved from Grand Canal today for their own “safety and health”.

“Leaving them in a chaotic situation on the streets is unacceptable,” he said.

“The facilities they’ll have in Crooksling and the Central Mental Hospital are not ideal either, they’re quite basic, but they have proper shelter, sanitation, proper toilets and so on.

“They were all offered that alternative accommodation which is why what was done was done.”

Processing

Minister Eamon Ryan said improvements must be made to speed up asylum processing.

“We have to speed up the application process and make sure every aspect of this is addressed so that it’s manageable,” he said.

Over 100 tents on Grand Canal where asylum seekers had been staying were removed today through a multi-agency operation coordinated by the Taoiseach’s office.

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Main image: Green Party leader Eamon Ryan at Government Buildings ahead of Cabinet, 25-07-2023. Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNews