Fine Gael’s presidential candidate Heather Humphreys has expressed gratitude to Taoiseach Micheál Martin after he stated his intention to vote for her in the upcoming Presidential Election. Meanwhile, Independent contender Catherine Connolly claimed Mr Martin’s backing of Ms Humphreys offers voters a “clear choice to make”, reports RTE.
The Taoiseach confirmed yesterday that he intends to cast his vote for Ms Humphreys. However, he also clarified that his party, Fianna Fáil, will not be issuing any directive to its members or supporters about which candidate to support in the final stretch of the race.
Both remaining candidates in the Presidential contest continued their campaigns today, travelling around the country as the election nears, reports RTE.
Catherine Connolly spent her day canvassing in County Waterford, while her opponent Heather Humphreys met with voters in County Tipperary.
Ms Connolly, joined by Sinn Féin TD David Cullinane in Ballybeg, Waterford City this morning, visited the Brill Family Resource Centre and local volunteer organisations before heading to the Apple Market in the city centre, reports RTE.
While speaking to the media, Ms Connolly said that while Micheál Martin, leader of Fianna Fáil, is within his rights to support her opponent, his public stance has helped to highlight the choice voters now face.
She said: “He is entitled to do that and I think he probably has actually clarified the situation – that for the leadership of Fianna Fáil there is very little difference between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, so the people of Ireland have a clear choice to make now,” reports RTE.
Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins has also said he plans to vote for Ms Humphreys, but emphasised that he is not encouraging others within the party to do the same.
Mr Collins noted that the Fianna Fáil leadership has decided not to issue any recommendations regarding voting for the remainder of the campaign, reports RTE.
When asked about a controversial poster that appeared in north Cork—criticising Heather Humphreys’ past opposition to fox hunting bans and her presence at Orange Order events, and now under Garda investigation—Ms Connolly said her campaign avoids such tactics.
“My team are certainly above dirty tricks. If a mistake was made, we certainly say sorry. I didn’t know that. If they have been removed that’s great, I wouldn’t stand over any type of that action. From day one I have concentrated on myself and my campaign. I have stood as honestly as I can. I have stood before many, many forums, including yourselves over and over again and tried to answer as many questions as possible,” reports RTE.
Ms Connolly also referenced a recent statement by former Fine Gael minister Ivan Yates, who remarked about using aggressive tactics against her, calling his words both revealing and disturbing.
Mr Yates said on Newstalk this week that he would “smear the bejaysus” out of Ms Connolly if he was involved in the Fine Gael campaign.
In response, Ms Connolly said: “He did us a favour because he has exposed what is happening in a strategy, and that strategy to say, actually, ‘smear the bejaysus out of her’, reports RTE.
“That is truly unacceptable. Since the day I started, I have never used negative campaigning,” reports RTE.
She further stated that she believes her campaign is building strong momentum and that the public is responding positively.
“I think people want hope, and I got hope out of that room (at the Brill Family Resource Centre), I got hope as a presidential candidate that people are engaging, and they want a voice”, reports RTE.
She added that, as of yesterday, more than 13,000 individuals had volunteered to support her campaign efforts.
Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys spent her morning meeting locals in County Tipperary.
While walking through the main street of Cashel, Ms Humphreys visited a number of local businesses, including a butcher, a boutique named Uptown Girl, a Credit Union, and the nearby SuperValu store, reports RTE.
Later, she travelled to the Upperchurch Drombane GAA club, where she addressed members of the press.
Ms Humphreys said she welcomed the Taoiseach’s expression of support.
“I know Micheál Martin very well. I’ve worked with him in government, and I particularly supported him when he announced the Shared Island Fund. What I would say is I’m a centreground candidate. We live in a divisive world. We live in a world that says far left, far right, and we know that it is causing divisions,” reports RTE.
She also took aim at Catherine Connolly, accusing her of not complying with Dáil Éireann’s security protocols when hiring an individual previously convicted of firearm-related offences.
Speaking to reporters, Ms Humphreys said “there are rules around access to Dáil Éireann”, reports RTE.
“It’s very clear you must have garda clearance before you can work in Dáil Éireann. And you know those are the rules. And you have to abide by the rules as an employer in Leinster House. And I had to abide by those rules. My staff had to be garda vetted before, and this lady was coming in on a day pass. A day pass for six months. You can’t do that,” reports RTE.
On the topic of fox hunting, Ms Humphreys said she supports country traditions, provided they are carried out within the boundaries of existing laws.
Speaking in Tipperary, she said: “There’s many controls and there’s many regulations in place, and they have to be adhered to as part of any rural pursuit. But I do support ours.”
Ms Humphreys also said that, if elected, she would prioritise climate-related issues as part of her presidential agenda, reports RTE.
Both candidates will appear in a live debate tomorrow at 1pm on RTÉ Radio 1’s This Week programme with David McCullagh.
The discussion will also be shown live on the RTÉ News channel.
The public will cast their votes in the Presidential Election on Friday, 24 October, reports RTE.
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