The new Lord Mayor of Dublin Críona Ní Dhálaigh says she is not going to continuously answer questions about her party, Sinn Féin.

She took over from Independent councillor Christy Burke yesterday.

It comes after the son of a prison officer murdered by the IRA expressed his disgust that a Sinn Féin councillor would be in place for the centenary celebrations of the 1916 Rising next year.

Austin Stack, whose father Brian was killed in 1983, accused Sinn Féin of trying to 'hijack' the 1916 celebrations.

But Ms Ní Dhálaigh says she deserves to be the capital's first citizen.

She says she wants Dublin to be a "city of equality", and that tackling the housing crisis would be a top priority.