A candidate for Dublin in the European elections says more must be done in the European Union when it comes to the housing crisis in Ireland.
Sinead Gibney, who is running as a candidate for the Social Democrats, said housing, climate and Gaza have been the three main issues on the canvas.
Speaking to Breakingnews.ie, Ms Gibney called for an EU wide response to housing similar to what was seen during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I will be pushing for an EU wide action plan on affordable housing that would be of the same level of the Covid response that we saw at an EU level.
"There are also ways in which the EU is hampering Ireland's ability at a domestic level to really instigate better crisis response for affordable housing. There are fiscal policy measures, for example, that are blocking Ireland's efficacy in terms of crisis response. There is also funds we could potentially unlock.
"I think it is shocking we haven't seen more. It is no use when it is in the run up to election time, this is something they should have been working on for the last five years.
"It is an EU-wide housing crisis, and it needs an EU wide response."
Despite having had her own experience of being targeted in the lead up to an election, Ms Gibney was not put off running in the European elections.
Commenting on the rise of the far-right in recent months, the Social Democrats member criticised the Government for pulling back on the proposed hate speech legislation.
"Of course these things are present when you make these decisions, because you are not just thinking about yourself, you are thinking about your loved ones and you family.
"I have had my own experience in a previous election, I did have a stalker. It doesn't sit easy. In terms of online presence that is where most of the hate comes through.
"Not in its current format, but I do support hate speech legislation. I do think that we are an outlier in Ireland in terms of not having specific hate speech and hate crime legislation.
"There are elements within the current legislation that cover requirements from an EU directives, particularly around naming genocide.
"I don't think the Government has done an amazing job with this legislation in terms of shaping it the right way, but it seems they have done a u-turn completely, and because there has been criticism of it, they are dropping it from the legislative table. I think that is hugely problematic.
"We do need hate crime and hate speech legislation that is affective, and we need to make sure that we can prosecute hate crimes affectively in this country."
Migration was once again one of the main political talking points this week, as 163 people were moved from a makeshift migrant camp at the Grand Canal, a week after smilier scenes at Mount Street.
On Friday, there was 30 tents pitched on the Grand Canal, just one day after the operation. Ms Gibney says the Government can expect this to continue.
"I would describe it as panicked as shambolic, they just seem to be making it up as they go along. The idea that this is what passes as Government policy at the moment is just moving homeless migrants from street to street.
"I don't know what they expected to happen when they housed those people who had originally been on Mount Street but still are not offering accommodation to those seeking international protection here.
"This is large groups of people, so of course they are going to stay safe in numbers and remain as a group because they are exposed to extreme violences and intimidation being homeless on the streets.
"I thought it was crazy when the Taoiseach said he was not going to allow these 'shanty towns' to pop up, but yet they are no addressing the fact international protection applicants are not being offered protection. As long as that continues to happen, we will continue to see people put up tents in our city.
"We need to see an audit of the IPAS and Ukrainian vacant beds so that we can understand what's available, and an urgent review of state property where migrants can be temporarily housed."
EU response to Israel
The Social Democrats have been very vocal in condemning the actions of Israel since October, with Ms Gibney critical of the EU response to scenes in Gaza.
The Dublin MEP candidate said she would not support President of the European Commission Ursula Von Den Leyen for a second term should be elected to the European parliament.
"Sadly, I think the EU response has been very, very poor. As a party, we would have expected to see the same response to Israel as we saw to Russia, and we have not seen that.
"For that reason, I would not be supporting Ursula Von Den Leyen for a second term should I be elected. What we have seen sadly is inaction at EU level.
"Israel is in clear breach of its human rights clause in its EU trade deal, but the EU seems to be refusing to do even a cursory investigation into that issue.
"I will be pushing for a suspension of the EU trade deal because of a breach of its human rights clause."
