Labour - Sean Sherlock

Q & A with Cork East Labour Party candidate Sean Sherlock

 Name  Sean Sherlock Address 20 blackwater drive mallow Date of birth 6/12/72 Constituency  cork east Party  Labour

Occupation :

Parliamentary Assistant

Previous occupation:

Parliamentary Assistant EU Parliament (with P DE Rossa)/ Prior to that Citibank London (Dublin)

Financial Interests:

None

Income (aside from income derived from political office): 

Between €20,000 - €30,000

Approximate net worth of capital assets aside from family residence:

Nil

Information on political career to date:

Co-opted to Mallow town council- cork county council 2003. elected to both councils for mallow electoral area in 2004 local elections. elected mayor of mallow june 2004/2005. topped poll at both counts.

Personal election manifesto:
To move to a situation in this country where "the politics of contentment" is challenged. The status quo that we have become used to needs to be challenged on the basis that at no other time in our history did we have a chance deliver "radical" changes in how we expend monies on building infrastructure, education, health facilities, housing, roads that would meet the challenges of a growing population, a multi cultural society and an ageing society. we need to shift the system back to "communitarian" values that are already embedded but have been left to wane as increasing individualisation has become more prevalent, especially within my generation.

Why should voters in your constituency vote for you rather than for other candidates, including candidates representing the political party which you represent?

Because I have a very strong work ethic, I am a pragmatist and have strong ideas on where this country needs to go. I am by the far the youngest candidate and I have experienced politics from a "familial" background but have spent three years working in the EU Parliament and prior to that working in the corporate banking sector. I have the benefit of a third level education and come from a generation of irish people that knows what it was like in the eighties and benefitted from the relative growth and social change of the nineties and reaped the rewards of the naughties. this insight gives me the opportunity to foresee that if this change is not managed then we are doomed to make the same mistakes. I am motivated by a desire to see this country expand its relationship with the EU (subject to EU reform) and seeks to see a realignment of irish politics between social democracy and conservatism and beyond the stasis of the current polity.

What do you consider to be the main election issues in your constituency?

Lack of adequate investment in roads, education, health...a need to rethink the policy on encouraging FDI in favour of encouraging local entrepreneurnial talent and creating incentives for smes and sole traders.. need to focus north and east cork into regions that do not have towns competing with each other but complementing each other on jobs growth.

More investmemt in a rural infrastructure, roads, broadband, higher levels of primary care (enhanced govt supported GP centres) to allow ageing population to remain within the home.

Greater emphasis on encouraging local authorities to implement policies that force developers to provide more amenities...they have made millions in some towns like mallow and fermoy but have given little back, with some notable exceptions.

Developement of a pattern of youth services, youth cafes that would act as centres for info for young people particularly young men, who are increasingly at risk of suicide...to provide info on stds, counselling and space to be themselves and rely on supports outside of the home..

Investment in a proper waste management structure that will allow people to recycle in their own homes....the overhaul of current govt policy where by the polluter pays principle is adhered to and that those who recycle are rewarded with lesser waste charges.

The need to chaange policy to allow people to recycle at source, ie when they visist the supermarket they can recycle within that facility if it over a certain size and can provide the infrastructure.

Were do you stand in relation to these constituency issues?

any trawling of public debates in council chambers local press will bear testament to the fact that I have campaigned on these issues

How much money do you expect to spend in the election campaign?

I honestly don't know...somewhere between 10K and Euro 15K

What will be the sources of this finance?

Have already raised money through a Racenight