Shay L'estrange Campaign Fundraiser

The Dublin South Central Branch of People Before Profit have nominated Shay L'Estrange to be their local election candidate for the Crumlin/Kimmage/Rathmines area. Shay is a native of Crumlin. He was born and reared on Downpatrick Road and he has resided in the area for all of his life. Shay’s experience living in the area has made him acutely aware of the challenges facing the people of Crumlin and its surrounding areas. Shay’s commitment to community work, volunteering and political activism in Crumlin spans over 35 years. Shay volunteered as a youth sports coach and administrator in the area for over 25 years. He has successfully negotiated with Dublin City Council for many improvements to sports facilities for young people in the area.

Shay believes that there has been a consistent lack of funding for sports facilities in the area. He says that “current funding levels do not come near what is actually needed to support young people in sport and this is having a detrimental impact on youth”. He believes that Dublin City Council need to “step up to the mark and ensure greater support to sports clubs”. He recently met with the Crumlin GAA committee to hear how an increase in funding would benefit the club. He heard how difficult it was to schedule games due to lack of playing pitches. He wants to open a firm line of communication between sports clubs in the area and the Council if elected. He intends to consult with local sports clubs in the coming months to discuss their difficulties.

Shay became politically active through the role he played during the water protests in the Crumlin area. He describes meeting an amazing group of community activists who showed that people power works. Following successful protests against water charges, he became involved in many local campaigns to highlight issues such as the housing and cost of living crisis caused by successive governments. He has led local campaigns that highlight the plight of homelessness such as Homes for All. Shay's passion for equality and fairness is evident through his full-time work as the manager of a community development organisation. He has also recently become involved with the Drimnagh, Ballyfermot and Dublin 6 “For All” groups who have been campaigning for an anti-racist, welcoming and inclusive society where everyone is equally valued.

Shay is also passionate about how we can address the environmental issues we face. He believes that climate change can be combatted at an individual and a community level. He wishes to support the large number of community and environmental groups who are active in the area and do tremendous work. However, he also points out that the Government is not doing enough. He points to the trend of taxing individual households for carbon emissions while letting big industrial polluters off the hook as a major problem. He states that what is needed is an eco-socialist approach to the issue of climate change. He explains that “this approach would see people being supported to make changes at an individual by offering affordable alternatives while at the same time forcing the big industrial polluters to pay as well as adopting an environmentally friendly approach to their business”.

Shay believes that the people of Crumlin, Harolds Cross, Rathmines and Kimmage deserve a better future and People Before Profit can offer the change that is required. Any contributions to the campaign to get Shay elected are much appreciated.