I won’t smear anyone but I will ask hard questions, Humphreys says

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

Heather Humphreys has said she will not smear anyone but will ask hard questions of her fellow presidential candidate Catherine Connolly.

Ms Humphreys also thanked Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin for saying he would vote for her – though he said he would not be recommending to members how they should cast their vote.

Mr Martin’s comments came ahead of an annual Fianna Fáil grassroots event on Saturday evening in Dublin, days after he apologised to his parliamentary party for how the party’s presidential candidate Jim Gavin fared.

Mr Gavin withdrew as a presidential contender after a tenant claimed he tried to recover 3,300 euros in overpaid rent from Mr Gavin 16 years ago.

This leaves just two candidates in the race ahead of polling day in less than two weeks’ time.

On Saturday, Fine Gael’s candidate Ms Humphreys canvassed in Co Tipperary, while left-wing independent Ms Connolly met with people in counties Waterford and Wexford.

Speaking at Upperchurch Drombane GAA, Ms Humphreys was asked about comments from former Fine Gael minister and broadcaster Ivan Yates calling on Fine Gael to “smear the bejaysus out of” Ms Connolly.

Ms Connolly said she was “absolutely shocked” when she heard Mr Yates’s comments and said it “trivialised” the election campaign.

Ms Humphreys responded: “Ivan Yates is a commentator, and he hasn’t been in Fine Gael for the last 25 years, and he’s certainly not advising me on my campaign.

“He’s entitled to say what he thinks himself. He’s no more involved in my campaign than Joe Brolly is involved in Catherine Connolly’s campaign.

“So I won’t be a candidate that’s going to smear anybody, but I will ask the hard questions, and I have already a number of issues that I think Catherine needs to clarify.”

I need all the votes I can get, There's no question about that

She raised the issue again of Ms Connolly giving a woman with a Special Criminal Court conviction access to the Dail for six months while Garda clearance was pending.

“We all know the rules are very clear, you must have Garda vetting. We talk about trying to unite people in this country, we’re talking about a united Ireland. Eirigi are the very people that tried to pull down the Good Friday Agreement.”

She also raised questions about using 3,691 euros of parliamentary allowance for a trip to Syria in 2018.

“I really do believe she needs to answer those questions, but those are straight questions, and that’s acceptable in any campaign,” Ms Humphreys said.

“These are the questions that will be debated during the campaign, but I certainly won’t be smearing anybody.”

Appealing for votes, Ms Humphreys said she was “a centre ground candidate” at a “divisive” time who “won’t fall out with our European neighbours”.

“I need all the votes I can get, There’s no question about that,” she said as she pledged to travel on trade missions “all over the world” if she became president.

Ms Humphreys also thanked Mr Martin for saying he would vote for her after Mr Gavin’s shock withdrawal.

After surviving a leadership wobble during the week, Mr Martin said he would not be telling party members who to vote for, stating that “when you start telling people how to vote they generally go in the opposite direction”.

Asked about discontent within Fianna Fail, junior minister Niall Collins said the issue needed to be put into perspective.

“Nobody is dead,” he said on RTE Radio.

Ms Humphreys said she had received phone calls from some Fianna Fail members “who will definitely vote for me”.

“I’d just like to thank the Taoiseach Micheal Martin for saying that he’s supporting me and he’s going to vote for me. I do appreciate that,” she said.

Asked about her stance on fox hunting, Ms Humphreys said she is in favour of “rural pursuits”, stating that there are “many controls” and “many regulations” in place.

The candidates are entering the final week of campaigning, which includes a one-on-one debate on RTÉ Radio on Sunday.

The last poll conducted, which was published last Sunday before Mr Gavin’s withdrawal, put Ms Connolly ahead of Ms Humphreys.