PBP/Solidarity to hold annual conference in Dublin

People Before Profit/Solidarity is holding its annual conference in Dublin today.

Party TDs, councillors and public representatives are set to discuss a wide range of themes on which they have campaigned in the Dáil and elsewhere.

Among them are tacking the cost of living and the housing crisis, protecting Ireland's neutrality and the triple lock, gender based violence and building a socialist alternative for Ireland.

Speaking ahead of the conference, Deputy Richard Boyd Barret said he believes a real opportunity now exists for the first ever government of the left to emerge in the country.

"We are strongly advocating for the left to build a united front to offer an alternative to the failures of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael on housing, the cost of living and neutrality."

Deputy Boyd Barret said the Catherine Connolly presidential campaign demonstrated this is possible, and the upcoming by-elections will be an opportunity to again show the left can work together.

"All parties are standing their own candidates but we are advocating a strong and public transfer pact among the left parties to ensure we win the seats in Dublin Central and Galway West."