THE GREEN PARTY’S candidate has said that “sending a message” to government in the Dublin Bay South by-election “won’t build any homes” or allow for a fair recovery from Covid-19. 

Parties have been engaging in the final stages of campaigning ahead of Thursday’s vote to fill the seat vacated by Fine Gael’s Eoghan Murphy. 

Much of the debate has focused on whether a government TD would or a member of the opposition will be elected.

Speaking today, Labour’s candidate Ivana Bacik said the vote is a chance to “send a message” to government, even if it won’t change the coalition’s comfortable majority in the Dáil. 

Speaking to The Journal last week, Fine Gael’s James Geoghegan said that he believes a government TD is in a better position “to affect change” in the Dáil. 

Bacik told reporters today that the election “won’t change the government” but that she has been “sensing frustration” about the Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael-Green Party government. 

“What we can do is use it as an opportunity to send a message to government about the need for change in particular policies,” she said. 

I think people do want change and we’re hearing a real appetite across the constituency for change, for the need to send a strong signal to the government on the need for change, particularly in housing but also in other public services around healthcare around childcare and elder care and around climate and community.

A constituency-specific opinion poll last week put Bacik second behind Geoghegan in polling but there have been suggestions that she may be the favourite for the seat. 

Bacik did not agree that she was favourite but said that she’s “certainly in with a strong chance”.

Labour's Ivana Bacik.

Also speaking today, Green Party candidate Claire Byrne rejected the idea that people could “send a message” to the government with their vote on Thursday. 

“The opposition are saying we can send a signal to a government that they’re not happy, but signals won’t build houses, signals won’t take immediate climate action, signals won’t take us out of this pandemic and towards a green recovery and safeguard our children’s future,” she said.

The Greens are in government now and we are implementing and delivering the policies that nearly every opposition member is calling for in this campaign. 

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Byrne cited as examples the planned construction of 300 cost rental homes in Shanganagh, Shankill. 

The councillor added that her party was “making childcare more affordable, making Ireland a more equal society and working towards abolishing Direct Provision.”

Byrne’s party leader Eamon Ryan topped the poll in Dublin Bay South in last year’s general election and said today that his party will “surprise people” in the by-election. 

“It’s a very good contest with loads of very good candidates, votes will go to all sorts of different places. I think we’re going to do better than people expect, people saying it’s a two-horse race, I don’t agree,” he said.

“What I sense, because I know this constituency well and I know the people, I think we’re going to surprise people, I think we’re going to do really well.”