One of the youngest candidates in the general election opened his campaign in Dublin today.
Dylan Haskins (23) is running as an independent in the Dublin South East constituency, home turf of Green Party leader John Gormley, Labour’s Ruairi Quinn, Fianna Fáil’s Chris Andrews and Fine Gael’s Lucinda Creighton.
Mr Haskins has been actively involved in the arts community in Dublin and in campaigning for youth facilities in suburban areas.
His online campaign includes a YouTube video ‘It starts here’, which has been viewed more than 13,000 times in the past three days.
“I was 15 when I first wrote to a politician. My letter asked that youth centres be built in response to the rapid development of housing estates around the country. I wrote three letters, but never received a reply,” says Mr Haskins on his website.
“So we decided to do it ourselves. We organised gigs in an empty parish hall while speculators waited for planning permission.”
He and his friends pooled their resources, started bands and played gigs.
“We met other teenagers and told them how they could do the same and from that we built a mutually supportive network. This taught me an important lesson: there is always a way.”
Mr Haskins has started his own record label, managed bands and established Exchange Dublin, a volunteer run, non-profit social centre in Temple Bar.
He has worked with Project Arts Centre in Temple Bar since 2004 and recently became the youngest ever member of its board of directors.
Setting a new standard of transparency in public office is among his pledges. Mr Haskins said that if elected, he would publish all his finances online and welcome his constituents to engage with him.
“If I’m willing to do that, then others will follow my example. If I’m open and transparent and they aren’t, then what are they hiding?”
He said he would implement new expense procedures in the Dáil to encourage transparency and accountability.
In other policy pledges, Mr Haskins said he would work with the Educate Together organisation to develop a blueprint for primary and secondary education. He would also support free third-level education as “fundamental to a functioning democratic society”.
Mr Haskins is holding a campaign rally in Andrew's Lane Theatre tonight at 6.30pm.