Dublin’s latest Lord Mayor is Vincent Jackson, an independent councillor from Ballyfermot. Vincent was elected in June, benefitting from a tied vote between other candidates.

Vincent became interested in local politics in 1991, a year in which he also began his career as a youth worker. When his term finishes next May, Vincent intends to return to his position as manager of Youth Services in Dublin 10.

His reign as First Citizen temporarily came to a halt when, at the end of August, Vincent and his wife Veronica were forced to evacuate the Mansion House for a couple of days when the police and army were called in to investigate a suspected explosive device hidden inside a fire extinguisher.

No device was discovered and Vincent and Veronica are now enjoying the pleasures of residing in one of Dublin’s finest historic houses in Dawson Street.

‘Newsfour’ met up with the new Lord Mayor recently to talk about his intentions for office and what he hopes to achieve for the capital’s citizens.

How are you settling into the Mansion House since your election in June?

Very good so far. There has been a huge amount of people coming in here to see me since we moved in. The diary is packed up well into next year already and with the General Election pending, it is going to get even busier, but I have to say I am looking forward to the term.

What does your wife Veronica think of the surroundings?

I think she likes the place more than I do! It’s quite a noisy place here, living in the centre of town. Our place in Ballyfermot would be a lot quieter than this location. It’s nice to be here for the year, though, in terms of the living space and all the trappings of the Mansion House.

How would you like the see the role of Lord Mayor changing in the future?

In the long term, I would like to see the role of Lord Mayor as someone who is directly elected by the people, with executive powers to change things. People like the Mayor of London and New York have a direct say in how the city is run from the point of view of policing, housing and transport. These are the big issues in Dublin and I often think it is ironic that the local authority, which is one of the biggest service providers in the city as well as one of the largest employers, does not have one representative.

What would you like to achieve in your year as Lord Mayor?

I would like to ensure that the elderly are made more visible in the community. I feel for far too long old people have been ignored and forgotten but really they are the foundation of the prosperity we enjoy now.

I know a lot of people will think that the last 10 or 15 years just happened overnight, but if you think about it there were people in the 40s and 50s who went to Britain and further afield and they worked their backsides off to send money back home to keep their families going.

These people are at the age now when they are retired and I think from the point of view of a local authority, we have to be seen to reinforce the whole concept of ensuring that older people can remain at home with support services there to help them.

What measures would you like to see in place to achieve these aims?

I would like to develop within the local authority an office that will co-ordinate at local level services for the elderly. I hope to set up structures where, if an elderly person breaks their hip or leg, they are not waiting 12 months for an occupational therapist to meet them in the hospital.

I’m talking about overcoming bureaucracy to create scenarios where simple things for the elderly, like a handrail in their homes to go up the stairs or a grab rail in the bathroom, can be installed after a stay in hospital.

This would ensure that someone is not staying in a hospital bed and can happily go home. People, as we all know, heal much quicker at home where they have their comforts around them and have the support of family and friends close by.

You are a youth worker by profession. What do you hope to achieve for the youth of Dublin in your term of office?

I am chairman of the Youth Services Board here in the city and I want to ensure that more services and facilities for our young people are created in the future.

I am happy to say that more high-quality youth centres are on the way, including one in my own constituency, the Ballyfermot Leisure and Youth Centre, which will be the biggest of its kind ever built in the country and will open next March.

I am very concerned with the issue of young people taking their own lives and the whole problem of teenage suicide, which has reached frightening levels in this country. We have developed a service, which was officially launched on September 8th called the ‘Teenage Suicide Prevention Line’, where counselors, trained by the Samaritans, will help young people going through low ebbs in their lives.

The concerns of the youth and the elderly are not easy areas to address but they are subjects very close to my heart, and if we can make inroads into these issues, then I think I can make a difference.

How do you address the problem now that people are fed up with politicians and totally cynical of their motives?

Councillors are democratically elected. They stood up, put their name forward and people went out and voted for them. Whatever you think of politicians, there is a great opportunity next May or whatever the date is for the election, if people think they can do a better job and hopefully a lot of people will, they should stand for election.

When there is an issue in an area, the very first person the local community turn to is the local councillor or TD. Now, I accept that we cannot please everybody in the work we do, but people sometimes forget the good work politicians do.

What about your own political ambitions?

Well I am not going to be running for any Dáil elections. I have to be realistic. The size of the constituencies is absolutely huge and I don’t have the resources of the large parties to support me. In my constituency alone, you go from Chapelizod out to Tempelogue.

I believe you can get a lot done in local politics regardless of your political status. If you come up with a good idea and you have the support of your community, I find you will get the support of local officials to implement change.

Above: Vincent at his desk in the Mansion House.