Meet the Dublin Central by-election candidates: Lord Mayor Councillor Ray McAdam
From fixing postcode lotteries in community policing to legalising EV charging on inner-city streets, Lord Mayor Ray McAdam is looking to take his 17 years of “on-the-ground” experience to the national stage in his bid for Dublin Central.
As part of Dublin Live’s Local Democracy Reporting Scheme’s coverage of the upcoming Dublin Central by-election, we reached out to Cllr McAdam and all the Dublin City Councillors currently in the running. By putting forward questions on the big issues affecting Dubliners, these profiles aim to provide voters with the information they need to make an informed choice come election day.
A Fine Gael councillor since 2009, Cllr McAdam intends to seek his party’s nomination for the upcoming election this May, with their selection convention taking place on March 23. Triggered by the resignation of his colleague Paschal Donohoe , Cllr McAdam believes he’s the right choice to step into the former Finance Minister’s seat as Dublin Central’s newest TD.
With the most political experience of any of the election candidates, Cllr McAdam has been a public representative since he was 25 years old and has worked as a parliamentary aide to Mr Donohoe for the majority of that time. Having topped the poll in the 2024 local elections, he believes he’s carved out a reputation for getting things and telling the truth “even when it isn’t always popular.”
“For the first time a Fine Gael candidate topped the poll in the North Inner City. That's as a result of hard work on the ground, day in, day out, week in, week out. People know when they contact me or they ask me for support or assistance that I get things done for them,” Cllr McAdam said.
Becoming a TD means having a direct influence on funding and Cllr McAdam said his time as a councillor has highlighted the need to standardise community policing and fix these issues at the Oireachtas level. “The delivery of community policing varies from one district to another and I think if you live in Ballymun, Stoneybatter, Ranelagh, or Rathmines you should be able to expect the same quality of community policing in each neighbourhood,” he said.
“What I’ve learned as Lord Mayor over the last eight months is that level of direct engagement with the Assistant Commissioner and senior management of the Gardai, that’s where I can have more influence than I currently do as a councillor.” While councillors are often “reacting to issues on the ground,” as a TD, Cllr McAdam states he would be able to have taken a far more “proactive approach” in shaping the direction of “quality and the scale of community policing in our neighbourhoods.”
Cllr McAdam is also targeting current electric vehicle laws, which prevent inner-city residents from charging cars parked outside their homes. As a TD, he pledges to change this legislation, stating he would introduce a Private Member's Bill if the Government fails to act.
He also aims to legalise the installation of charging infrastructure on the public realm by householders and private firms. Emulating schemes in areas like Enfield and Plymouth, he wants to permit residents to "stretch the cables from the front door from the house directly into the car," providing a practical solution for private EV charging in the city.
“Strategies at the moment are all based on community charging that's welcome but we do need to do more to enable a private EV charging points in the city and the best way to do that particularly in inner city communities like those I represent is to enable those householders charge the cars outside the front door,” Cllr McAdam said.
The housing crisis is one of the biggest challenges Ireland faces today, and Cllr McAdam believes the only way to get to the other side of it is maximise the delivery of social and affordable housing and “tackle our waiting list.” From redevelopment of the former O’Devaney Gardens site in Dublin 7, now known as Montpelier, to dedicated senior citizens housing at St. Finbar's Court in Cabra, Cllr McAdam has launched several housing projects during his tenure as Lord Mayor.
“As Lord Mayor, what I have done is to bring all parties together to adopt, for example, the strategic development area of the Dublin Industrial Estate Lands. I launched that as Chair of the Planning SPC in 2023 and now we have got that through council and that will see 8,500 new homes delivered,” Cllr McAdam said. He stressed that housing delivery is also about “creating communities” and that it’s important to ensure adequate schools, commercial spaces, park and recreation spaces for the people who live in newly developed sites.
Cllr McAdam said the current discussion around housing has been “too abstract” and that strong leadership is needed to “work together and fix the challenges we face as a city and a country.”
In a constituency as diverse as Dublin Central, balancing the needs of long-standing residents with those of newer international communities is a sensitive task. For Cllr McAdam, the answer lies in community-led culture. He cited launching the Five Lamps Community Arts Festival in the Mansion House last week as a prime example of Dublin as a place that fosters a “sense of belonging and everybody can partake and engage in supporting the local community.”
“Dublin is a city for all,” he said. “We are a multicultural society, we are a much more diverse society and through Dublin City Council ’s community development teams we continue to do that on the ground.”
“That is the work I have been doing for the last 17 years as a local councillor and I want to continue that as a Teachta Dála for Dublin Central.”
Cllr McAdam is proud of his accomplishments as a local representative and his ability to “get things done.” Now, he’s asking for the opportunity to take things to the next level and bring that same passion to enact change at a national level.
“From roads to footpaths to working to get new schools delivered across the constituency, making sure the greening strategy in Stoneybatter is delivered, making sure that we improve road safety in our local neighbourhoods,” he said. “I am someone who has spent almost 20 years working day in, day out on the ground in Dublin Central. It's an absolute privilege to represent the people of Dublin Central on Dublin City Council but I'm now asking them to give me the opportunity to represent them from the highest position possible.”
This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme