Friends of the Earth Dundalk hosts online hustings with election candidates

Friends of the Earth Dundalk hosted an online hustings with Dundalk local election candidates on 27th May.

The event was attended by candidates from People Before Profit (James Hickey), Sinn Fein (Kevin Meenan), Green Party (Marianne Butler and Gerard Crawley) and Labour (Jamie O’Hare). Others submitted responses to key themes (Maeve Yore). Helen Byrne from Tidy Towns was also present. Friends of the Earth Dundalk said it is very grateful to all who attended or responded.

The event began with the Friends of the Earth group asking each candidate about the steps they have taken to reduce their carbon footprint. Many candidates said they have implemented new sustainable practices on energy and transport however, the prohibitive cost on individuals of retrofitting was stressed as a barrier by Gerard Crawley.

On the lack allotments and community gardens in Dundalk, attendees were told of the revitalisation of the Community Garden at Muirhevnamore  by Kevin Meenan, Marianne Butler, and Maeve Yore.

Reference was made to the the Louth Urban Food Sanctuary in partnership with Louth County Council and Creative Spark. Candidates also shared various ideas to maintain and encourage green spaces and public parks.

All agreed that the quality of drinking water in Dundalk is appalling. Kevin Meenan highlighted that despite the council being aware of ongoing issues, the problem remains far from resolved.

Opinions varied, with James Hickey opposing private ownership of water. Marianne Butler emphasized the need to focus on water quality at the source and believes system changes such as broadening and increasing septic tank inspections are necessary.

There was unanimous agreement at the hustings that more needs to be done to encourage cyclists and walkers, with the suggestion that cycling could be promoted through the schools.

It was felt that currently the situation, in and around Dundalk, is extremely dangerous and is a deterrent to cyclists. Attendees were told of plans for segregated paths and cycle lanes and safe routes to school by Marianne Butler.

Proper infrastructure, along with better traffic management and calming measures is essential the candidates agreed. Gerard Crawley proposed to identify council land that could be transformed into an urban greenway around Dundalk.

Addressing a question on housing, candidates supported expanding retrofitting schemes and mentioned existing grants. However, the high cost to individuals makes retrofitting unattainable for many.

James Hickey emphasized the need for all social housing to be of good quality and to meet high BER standards. Several of the candidates emphasized the importance of including green spaces in housing developments and maintaining green spaces that already exist in some of the older estates in the area.

On being asked to address what they considered a "just transition" would look like various responses were given. Marianne Butler advocated for a fair shift towards a green economy, ensuring equitable treatment for workers in traditionally polluting industries by providing opportunities for reskilling.

James Hickey emphasized the principle of equality, suggesting that costs should be borne by corporations and top polluters, rather than individuals.

Friends of the Earth have asked local candidates to sign a Climate Pledge to show their commitment to faster and fairer climate action. They ask all voters to place the environment at the core of their voting intentions. Details of the pledge as well as policies and campaigns are available at https://www.friendsoftheearth.ie.