Andrew Keegan

1. Are you for or against the elimination of the local property tax?

The property tax was supposed to be a local-services tax for parks, playgrounds, etc., but has been
misused to fund Irish Water, leading to cuts in local government. Property tax should be eliminated, as we pay at source, at purchase price and general taxation.

2. Are you for or against repealing the 8th Amendment?

I’m for the repeal of the 8th and women’s right to choose.

3. Are you for or against the creation of a directly elected mayor for the Dublin area, with greater powers over, housing, transport and revenue raising?

I’m against the election of a lord mayor with extra powers. It smacks of a vanity project for the likes of Bertie Ahern and co. Let’s return powers back to Dublin city councillors, the second-largest elected body after the Dáil in this state.

4. Who should be responsible for setting minimum apartment standards, local authorities or the national government?

Both local planning departments and government departments should both be responsible for
overseeing national building standards. Problem we have now is neither speaks to each other.

5. Are you for or against ending religious patronage of all schools?

I’m for the ending of religious patronage of schools and hospitals, with a complete separation of
church and state.

6. Are you for or against the provision of medically supervised injection centres in Dublin?

There should be medically supervised injection canters, but throughout the city and not just in certain parts of the inner city. But these centres should not be just glorified injection rooms, but should be addiction-treatment centres and properly funded to assist drug users and addicts to manage their addiction in positive surroundings.

7. Are you for or against giving asylum seekers the right to work?

If any asylum seeker wishes to work and contribute to his host country, he should be encouraged to do so and if he or she has a skill which can benefit their local community, of course he or she should be allowed to work, without being exploited.

8. What, if anything, should be done about Irish Water?

Irish Water should be subsumed back into the Department of Environment. We don’t need more quangos.

9. Are you for or against the immediate introduction of a vacant-land levy in Dublin?

There should be a vacant land levy and should they not develop their land they should be refused any future planning permission.

10. Are you for or against banning zero-hour employment contracts?

Zero-hour contracts should be banned immediately along with bogus self-employed contracts.

11. Are you for or against ending unvouched expenses for TDs and councillors?

All expenses should be vouched for all public representatives, including senators.

12. Are you for or against bringing in a new system of independent building inspections carried out by government inspectors to ensure that buildings are built to code?

An inspectorate department of the Department of Environment, with strong legal powers, should be established. We should look at best practice across Europe before making a mess of it.

In preparation for 26 February, we asked candidates running in Dublin for their views on a dozen issues. You can read what all the candidates had to say here.