Gerry Hutch has branded the housing crisis ‘disgraceful’ as he called for affordable housing in Ireland.
Mr Hutch will be on the ballot paper in the Dublin Central constituency on Friday, November 29, as the nation heads to the polls to vote for who they want in Government.
The 61-year-old will be running against the likes of Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, Fine Gael’s Paschal Donohoe and the Green Party’s Neasa Hourigan in the Dublin Central constituency.
Mr Hutch returned from Lanzarote to Ireland earlier in the month following his release on €100,000 bail after being arrested as part of a money-laundering investigation in Spain.
Speaking on Sheriff Street, near where he was raised, Mr Hutch vowed to help the community ‘as much as possible’ if elected to the Dail.
‘There’s no sense in running if you’re not going to be genuine and truthful. If I get elected, I’ll do what I can,’ he told Newstalk.
Explaining what he would focus on if he becomes a TD, Mr Hutch said: ‘Homelessness, housing for the people – affordable housing. People cannot get on the property ladder; we need affordable housing.
‘Someone who is starting to get on the property ladder has to be earning 120 grand a year. It’s disgraceful; it’s not for the people around here.’
Asked about why he decided to enter the world of politics, which left the nation stunned, Mr Hutch stated that ‘people asked’ him to run.
‘They’ve asked me to run over the years and, lately, they’ve pushed and pushed me – and I’m running,’ he said.
Revealing that he came ‘out of semi-retirement’ for his election campaign, Mr Hutch expressed regret at not looking into his new career avenue earlier in life.
‘Maybe I should have run as a politician when I was 20. I’m coming out of semi-retirement to do this for the people.
‘I could just chill out and not do it but they’re pushing me into it,’ he said.