GE 24 meet the candidates: Sorca Clarke (Sinn Féin)

Meet the canidates GE 24

I have been living in Mullingar for almost 20 years now. My husband and I have 4 children, two of whom have autism. We welcomed a wonderful grandson earlier this year. I was an early school leaver who returned to education as an adult, went on to study accountancy and was a first place winner in my final auditing exams. I worked in public practice for many years. I am an avid reader, crochet creator and enjoy kayaking and swimming. I have been involved in various community and voluntary groups and still volunteer in my spare time because I believe strong communities are built from the ground up and there is a role for everyone.

Why should people have confidence in Sinn Féin to solve the housing crisis when the party has never been in power before in the Dáil?

Those who have been in power for over a 100 years created this crisis and they are not the ones to fix it. They carry that responsibility while our friends, family and communities pay the price. Sinn Féin recently published the most comprehensive, costed and detailed plan of any party to deliver affordable, social and private homes. We are ready to hit the ground running because ending the housing crisis would be the number one priority of a Sinn Féin government.

What other party or parties would Sinn Féin be prepared to form a coalition Government with?

We will speak to anyone who is committed to delivering a Programme for Government that tackles the numerous serious issues that we are facing. Obviously our preference is a government without Fianna Fail or Fine Gael but our starting point is respecting the mandate that all TD's returned to the Dáil are given by the voters.

What is your proudest achievement as a TD representing Longford Westmeath over the past five years?

It's difficult to pick only one since there have been so many. From the constituency, there have been countless but I would say getting a solution for a phenomenal lady fighting breast cancer or helping the couple stranded abroad to get home safely - it's about being able to provide help for people when they need it most. Nationally, introducing my first piece of legislation (to address flooding) or leading out the Sinn Féin team on my first Dáil motion (Women of Honour).

Is there anything personally that you would do differently?

The pandemic began a few short weeks after the last general election and it was such a strange time as a new TD - as it was for everyone else. In hindsight, if I was to do anything differently, it would be to accept much earlier that the best made plans are often influenced by factors outside of my control.

If you were marking the performance of the current government out of 10 what would you give it?

3. The failure of this government to accept they were making mistakes and continue with flawed policies has left our communities weaker, people feeling worse off and stripped hope away from so many.

What one issue would be your top priority if you are elected to the Dáil?

As the Sinn Féin spokesperson on Education, my top priority will be to ensure that our schools are properly funded and resourced, that our teachers see a future for themselves in their profession and that every child has access to the school place they need.