The outgoing Dublin Lord Mayor Hazel Chu aims to encourage more women and people from diverse backgrounds to run in future elections.

Cllr Chu is stepping down from the role this afternoon after year in the Mansion House.

On Lunchtime Live this afternoon, she said her time as Lord Mayor coincided with a “very, very difficult year for everyone” but she is proud of what she has achieved.

She remains a Dublin City Councillor and Chair of the Green Party and said she now aims to ensure that “more women and people from diverse backgrounds run in the next local and general elections.”

“That is part of my job,” she said. “It is up to me to work with the team and work with the leadership - work with Eamon [Ryan] and Catherine [Martin] to make sure we do have people from all backgrounds in various roles.

“The reason I say that is one of the things I will take away from this year is that a lot of the messages, and a lot of kid’s messages especially who wrote into me, were saying, listen it’s great to see you in there. It makes me think that I can be anything.

“I have parents writing in to say that about their kids as well. They are saying it is great to see that anyone can be in this role as Lord Mayor and that is what we need to do in politics.

“We need to make sure we up the game when it comes to women, increase gender balance and increase diversity from migrant backgrounds as well.”

Diversity

Cllr Chu, who has previously spoken out about some of the racist abuse she has endured since entering the Mansion House, said she is more determined than ever to fight for diversity in public life.

“There is a certain amount of vitriol that gets aimed at people who are public faces and it is part of the job,” she said. “It shouldn’t be part of the job but it is the part of the job.

“But our job then - the majority - is to make sure then you normalise things. You tell people, listen, anyone from anywhere can run and if you have a problem with them running, that is a problem you have yourself. It is not a problem with them.

“So, that is the downside but it doesn’t mean that you don’t keep going.”

Lord Mayor

She said her time in office was “really challenging” and suggested the role had “changed dramatically” due to COVID.

“We have gone from a very ceremonial role of the Lord Mayor going out and visiting people and cutting ribbons – which is something we couldn’t do – and we changed it,” she said.

“I am very grateful to the City Council working with me to change it. I was able to set up a homeless taskforce this year, talk to the minister a few times about the issues with homelessness and go out through the city with Dublin Simon on Friday evenings to look at the state of affairs.

“I was able to set up integrational framework with the team at DCC and form a partnership with the UN for the first migrant forum ever in the city.

“I was also able to work with COVID mobility to roll out pedestrianisation and fight for the city on things that sometimes weren’t forthcoming straight away. So, it became a job and that is what it should be.”

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