WITH THE DÁIL still in recess, we have been continuing to catch up with some of Ireland’s newest TDs. 

This time round, we spoke to Sinn Féin TD for Dublin Fingal East, Ann Graves. 

Before getting into politics, Graves worked in the education sector for over 30 years, most recently for Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), where she was a Siptu trade union rep.

Graves describes herself as someone who has “always been an activist on the ground”.

Graves at a Sinn Féin press conference last year. Alamy Alamy

Prior to her election to the Dáil last year, she had served as a councillor since 2019 but lost her council seat in last year’s local elections. Just a couple of short months later, however, she was co-opted back on after a colleague stood down for health reasons.

In a move that took many by surprise, she then won the last seat in Fingal East in the general election, pipping longstanding Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell, who had been tipped to safely keep his seat. 

For Graves, there was never any question about which party she would join or support.

“It was always Sinn Féin. Everyone in Sinn Féin wants a united Ireland, that’s our goal,” Graves said when asked about her party affiliation.

“It looks as though it’s something that will happen now in my lifetime, which I’m glad to say.”

Is life as a TD what you expected?

“I wasn’t blindsided, I have to say.

“I don’t think people go in as candidates to the general election blindly. I think most people would have a good idea of what it is that they’ll have to do.

“One of the biggest challenges is trying to balance the constituency work with the work in the Dáil and at the national level.

“One of my priorities when I was elected was to open a constituency office in Swords that would serve all of Fingal East, so that there’d be a fully manned office open for people and I’d be available to people around the clock every day.”

She tries to keep Sundays free to “introduce herself to the family”.

“But inevitably, something comes up on a Sunday,” she added.

Graves and her party colleague Louise O'Reilly.

Peak and pit

Any surprises about the role?

“I worked in the education sector before I became a councillor, so I’ve always worked and always been busy, but I think the volume of emails [has been a surprise]. It’s huge. Particularly from lobbying groups.

“If I hadn’t got the staff both in Leinster House and in my constituency office, I certainly wouldn’t be able to deal with the volume of requests that you get,” Graves said, noting that at the moment a lot of emails sent to her are about Gaza.

“Any given day, you come in and you open your email first thing in the morning, and there could be like 250 emails on the same topic. And they have to be dealt with. People contact their TDs, quite rightly, because they want them to do something.”

What’s been the highlight?

“The highlight was the people electing me and getting the opportunity to stand in the Dáil and represent them on the matters that are important to them.

“I’m the spokesperson on drug and alcohol strategy, addiction and recovery — bit of a mouthful — and I’m really enjoying that role,” Graves said.

“I’m still kind of in awe every time I sit in the Dáil. I’m so proud of being elected, and I’m so humbled by the people that voted for me, because I was the outside chance.

“I mean, if you were putting money on me, you would have made a fortune in the general election, because I really was the outside chance.”

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Graves added that having closer access to decision makers and government ministers is also a highlight.

“The fact that you can ask direct questions and get direct responses.”

Any lowlights?

“Not really,” said Graves, “I’m really enjoying the job.”

She added (like many of the Opposition TDs we spoke to for this series) that she finds it very frustrating when government representatives don’t give them proper answers in the Dáil.

“The government are there to govern, we’re there to question their decisions. We’re asking them on behalf of the people that elected us, so I do find that extremely frustrating, you know, but that’s not going to change until government changes,” Graves said.

Final musings

On the upcoming presidential election, Graves was tight-lipped on her preferences.

Asked if she would favour backing Catherine Connolly or a Sinn Féin candidate, Graves said: “The worst thing you can do is select a candidate that the rest of the party aren’t happy with, particularly grassroots people.

“At the end of the day, we’ll be out canvassing for whoever the candidate is that we’re going to support, be that a Sinn Féin candidate or somebody else. So if we want people out on the doors trying to encourage people to vote for whoever that candidate is, they need to want them.”

But would she personally be happy to support Catherine Connolly?

“Our ideal and our goal will be for a United Ireland. So we would want somebody that would be strong on that. She’s good in the Dáil, she’s a good representative. So let’s see.”

“The Sinn Féin party, we’re designed as a party. So whatever the decision is, I’ll support it.”