Progressive Alliance calls on Labour and Greens to pull plug on government parties on DCC

Councillors from Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit and various independent councillors will vote down the Dublin City Council budget on Monday night, and have called on Labour and the Greens to pull the plug on Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

In a joint statement, councillors Daithí Doolan (Sinn Féin), Cat O’Driscoll (Social Democrats), Conor Reddy (People Before Profit) and Cieran Perry (independent), said they would oppose any proposed rent increases to Dublin City Council tenants.

Between them, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Labour and the Greens have 31 seats on Dublin City Council, shy of an overall majority; Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are reliant on Labour and Green support, with Labour on 4 seats and the Greens on 8.

Sinn Féin, Social Democrats, People Before Profit and various left-wing independents sit in opposition on Dublin City Council, and have called on their fellow parties of the left to walk out on the government parties.

The Progressive Alliance has roughly 25 seats on Dublin City Council, in comparison to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s combined 19.

In June 2024, an ill-fated attempt was made for Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats, Labour, the Greens and People Before Profit as well as various left-wing independents, to form a coalition on Dublin City Council.

Labour and the Greens walked away from the talks over the issue of the local property tax.

A similar call was made for Labour and the Greens to part ways with the government parties last June, in the wake of the Greens’ electoral wipeout in the 2024 general election and Labour showing signs of moving on from their past association with Fine Gael.

Once again, the calls by the various left-wing parties went unheard.

Some within the Progressive Alliance believe that the Greens have nothing to lose by ending their agreement with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael as the party looks to rebuild in opposition, with Labour’s councillors on Fingal County Council voting against their Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael coalition partners in July over the local property tax cut and notably, in last week’s budget meeting.

Calls for left-wing co-operation have intensified in the wake of Catherine Connolly’s landslide victory in October’s presidential election, with Labour, the Greens, Social Democrats, Sinn Féin and People Before Profit all setting their differences aside to back Connolly in her successful bid for the Áras.

“We will oppose any attempt on Monday night to increase rent for Dublin City Council, HAP or Approved Housing Body tenants,” the left-wing alliance said in a statement over the weekend.

“The vote on Monday night will impose further pressure on already struggling families. Families are really struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. People are being pushed to the pin of their collar trying to cover the cost of food, heating and fuel. The last thing working families need is a rent increase.”

“Families in council housing are in overcrowded conditions, poorly insulated homes, requiring urgent upgrades. While tenants in receipt of HAP are in precarious private rented accommodation can face eviction at any time. Demanding more rent is an insult.”

“Families with grown children cannot be demanding more money from them to cover a rent increase while the same children are struggling to save for a mortgage or a deposit,” the statement read.

The statement said “the vote on Monday must be defeated. The Progressive Alliance is calling on other parties to join with us and oppose this rent increase.”

“The real problem is that the central government are starving Dublin City Council of essential funding to cover maintenance of council housing. Only last month the Fianna Fail, Fine Gael government were applauding themselves on the huge budget surplus. Some of that money must be invested in housing here in Dublin.”