Labour - Joan Burton

Q & A with Dublin West Labour Party candidate Joan Burton

 Name  Joan Burton Address 81 Old Cabra Rd, Dublin 7 Date of birth 01/02/1949 Constituency  Dublin West Party  Labour

Occupation :

TD

Previous occupation:

Lecuturer and Chartered Accountant

Financial Interests:

None

Income (aside from income derived from political office): 

None

Approximate net worth of capital assets aside from family residence:

Nil

Information on political career to date:

TD : 1992 to 1997

Minister of State : 1993 to 1997
Dublin County Council 1991 - 1993

Fingal County Councillor : 1999 to 2003

TD : 2002 to present

Labour Party Spokesperson on Finance in current Dail

Why should voters in your constituency vote for you rather than for other candidates, including candidates representing the political party which you represent?

I have been a full time deputy since my election and have campaigned vigorously on a full range of local and national issues both in the Dail and in the constituency. I have been the leading local voice on many issues associated with the school building programme, and the rights of home owners and tenants in relation to the activities of management companies. I have highlighted many inequities in the tax code that have enabled some people to evade taxation on their income.

What do you consider to be the main election issues in your constituency?

Health , Public Transport , Crime, School Places, Proper Planning

Were do you stand in relation to these constituency issues?

I want to see development plan for Connolly Hospital completed without any transfer of publicly owned land in hospital to private hospital.

Phased expansion of eligibility for medical cards

Creation of Dart style commuter rail service on Maynooth line by accelerating the completion date of proposed interconnector .

Extra buses on all routes with expansion of Quality Bus Corridor and reorganisation of route structure

More Community Gardai Community Policing is definitely the key. Our citizens don't feel safe and detection rates are falling. Eighty-five per cent of burglaries, 65 per cent of thefts and 62 per cent of robberies, go undetected. And of the 75 killings where guns are used, between 1998 and 2004, only 12 convictions have been registered. We need a dedicated core of Community Gardai, that are based in the Community and know residents on a first name basis to address the spiralling crime rates that are blighting many communities in Ireland.  Community Gardai should be allocated for a 2-3 year period to a community and the position should be positively rated for promotional purposes in the Gardai.

School construction to meet local additional demand as houses are built.

Quality green spaces to create sustainable communities for families with children. Planning to sustain high quality employment.
How much money do you expect to spend in the election campaign?

 Approx € 25,000: this is limit for a 3 seater

What will be the sources of this finance?

Local Labour Party fund raising such as race Nights, table quizzes, and my own personal contribution.