Political Platform: Rose Conway-Walsh TD

First elected to Mayo County Council in 2009, becoming the first ever female councillor elected in Béal an Mhuirthead, Rose Conway-Walsh subsequently led the Sinn Féin team in the Seanad between 2016 and 2020 before being elected as the first Sinn Féin TD in Mayo in almost a century in February 2020. She is the party’s spokesperson for public expenditure, NDP delivery and reform.

How did your political career begin?

I joined Sinn Féin after returning from London in 2000 and was first elected to Mayo County Council in 2009 and re-elected in 2014. I was subsequently elected to the Seanad in 2016 and the Dáil in 2020. I served for two years on the EU Committee of the regions. It was never my intention to get involved in electoral politics. The lack of women in politics and my desire for an independent united Ireland motivated me to run for election.

What are your most notable achievements in the Oireachtas to date?

Until I was appointed to Sinn Féin spokesperson for Public Expenditure, NDP delivery and reform in April 2023, I was the Sinn Féin spokesperson for further and higher education. In my time focusing on third-level education and research, the Minister adopted several policy proposals we put forward including:

• state intervention to deliver college-owned affordable student accommodation;
• increasing SUSI supports for the first time since they were introduced in 2011; and
• reducing student fees despite the programme for government committing to maintaining them at their former level.

I also produced an Oireachtas report on developing north/south cooperation in third-level education. This led to reforms implemented in legislation and active work across the sector to address barriers to all-Ireland third-level education.

I have also tried to impact policy decisions outside my own portfolio. For example, throughout 2022, I pushed hard for the Government to address the design of our electricity pricing system that continues to place households under huge pressure. My proposals were finally adopted in December 2022 after over a year of challenging the Government’s position on the challenge.

What is unique about representing the Mayo constituency?

Mayo for Sam! The pride of being from Mayo is special. It is a vast county with a huge diaspora dispersed all over the world. Mayo people are warm, innovative, and generous of heart.

What are your policy priorities going forward?

In my current role as spokesperson for public expenditure, NDP delivery and reform, I am focus on addressing the infrastructure deficit and the inability of central government to deliver capital projects.

Huge capital underspend in housing, runaway costs on the National Children’s Hospital, and creaking water and electricity networks are the symptoms of a system that is not working.

The State was starved of capital investment of years under Fine Gael-led government. That led to a huge loss of institutional knowledge in the public service. Now with capital projects in the pipeline the Government is over reliant on private sector consultants.

Instead of recognising these weaknesses, the Government is moving further in the wrong direction. Recent announced reforms designed to speed up delivery, amount to nothing more than the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and his department taking an even more hands over approach and ever greater reliance on private consultants. These reforms will not deliver the change we need.

How can Sinn Féin maximise its impact in opposition during the remaining lifetime of the 33rd Dáil?

Sinn Féin need to continue to apply maximum pressure on the Government particularly in key areas such as health, housing, and addressing the broader infrastructure deficit.

The health of our people, economy and climate relies on us getting to grips with these challenges.

The longer the current government is in power the worse things are getting.

In opposition we need to ensure that the Government is held to account for the array of missed targets and that Sinn Féin continues to put forward solutions and an alternative vision at every opportunity.

What are your interests outside of the political sphere?

I enjoy travel, spending time with family and friends, reading, and going to the theatre.