The Dublin-Central by-election candidate is currently running for the vacant Dáil seat left by former Fine Gael TD and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, who left politics in November to take up the role of chief knowledge officer at the World Bank.
Mr Hutch ran an unsuccessful campaign as an independent candidate in the last general election in 2024.
He hosted a meet-and-greet on Sunday afternoon at Corinthian’s Boxing Club, near Buckingham Street in Dublin’s north inner city.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, the 63-year-old said he is committed to running for a Dáil seat again, whether its the upcoming by-election or the next general election.
“Win, lose or draw, I’m running in the general election,” he said.
He also described the saga with National Children’s Hospital as “crazy” and questioned the planning and logistics that went into deciding its location.
Dublin Central By-Election Candidate Gerry Hutch pictured at a open day for a meet and greet at Corinthians Boxing Club,Bella Place, Mountjoy, Dublin ahead of the Dublin Central By-Election.
Pic Tom Honan
“They should have built off the M50 exit at Connolly Hospital so you could reach it more easily. Instead, ambulances are going to struggle to get in because of traffic at the current site,” he said.
Mr Hutch officially handed in his election candidacy papers on Wednesday at the Dublin City Sheriff’s office.
The Dubliner has previously been described in court by a judge as the patriarchal figurehead of the Hutch criminal organisation. He spends much of his time in Lanzarote and is under investigation by Spanish authorities for alleged money laundering, which he denies. In 2023 he was found not guilty of the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in February 2016.
Dublin Central By-Election Candidate Gerry Hutch pictured at a open day for a meet and greet at Corinthians Boxing Club, Bella Place, Mountjoy, Dublin ahead of the Dublin Central By-Election.
Pic Tom Honan
News in 90 seconds – Sunday May 3
Meanwhile, during the first debate on RTÉ’s The Week In Politics, Mr Hutch’s Dublin-Central competitors from Sinn Féin, Fine Gael, Labour and Social Democrats faced off as they vied to get their pitch across to voters.
“My 9-year-old son can’t walk alone to the corner shop,” said Cllr Ennis of the Social Democrats.
Daniel Ennis, candidate for Social Democrats in Dublin Central by-election. Photo: Steve Humphreys
Mr Ennis, currently a councillor, revealed that he will not allow his nine-year-old son to walk alone near their home in the north inner city alone due to anti-social behaviour and crime concerns.
“Dublin, by and large, is a safe city, but there are other parts, and especially in around the North Inner City and parts of Dublin Central that are simply not safe.
“I’m raising a family in the north inner city, and I can’t let my nine-year-old son – I can’t trust the safety within our area – for him to walk around the corner shop, so many people are telling us,” he said.
The 38-year-old father said, “we can’t police our way out of those issues because we’ve been trying for 40 years,” and said a more visible Garda presence is needed in the city.
Cllr Ennis, who is from the North Strand Road, and is a former League of Ireland footballer, said he was a “product of youth diversion programmes myself I know how much it works.”
“Dublin 1 hasn’t got a full-sized sports pitch in an area that’s turned out Kellie Harrington, and Troy Parrott… we haven’t got a full-sized sports pitch in the shadow of Croke Park, the home of sport in our country.”
Sinn Féin’s candidate, councillor Janice Boylan, said she spent three hours at her grandmother’s stall on Moore Street and saw no visible policing.
There were clashes in the debate over cost-of-living measures with Government candidate Fine Gael Lord Mayor of Dublin, Ray McAdam on the defensive.
Sinn Fein representative Councillor Janice Boylan during a press conference on housing at Teachers’ Club in Dublin (PA)
He said the Government have responded to the fuel crisis by providing €775 fuel support invention.
“Per capita basis, it’s the second-largest in the European Union,” Cllr McAdam said.
Echoing former minister Paschal Donohoe, who was Cllr McAdam’s former boss when he worked in his constituency office, McAdam said: “the reason why we’ve been able to respond back effectively over the last years is because we’ve prudently managed the public finances.”
Labour candidate Ruth O’Dea said the Gfuel support package brought forward to help hauliers and farm contractors “ignored PAYE workers.”
Ms O’Dea said that Labour is proposing targeted energy credits for people on incomes up to €70,000, and a once off payment of €100 for those receiving child benefit for groceries.
She also said the party want the VAT rate cut for hospitality from 13.5 pc to 9 pc coming on July 1.
“What we’re talking about there is targeted supports to small businesses, not like bailouts for burger barons,” she said as fast food chains like McDonalds are due to benefit from the VAT rate cut.
Cllr Ennis said the Social Democrats want to see a €400 targeted energy support and fuel support scheme for essential workers.
Cllr Boylan said; “People need intervention now, we have to look at it in October again of course, but what we’re talking about is people, they can’t cope.”
While the debate included four candidates live there were pre-recorded clips from other candidates: Fianna Fáil Cllr John Stephens, Green Party Cllr Janet Horner, People Before Profit’s Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, Aontú’s Ian Noel Smyth, Independent Mannix Flynn and Independent Malachy Steenson.
At the end of the programme RTE confirmed that Gerard Hutch “did not respond to RTE’s efforts to contact him”.
