Presidential hopefuls don’t hold back as scathing attacks launched ahead of final debate

Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys and Independent Catherine Connolly launched scathing attacks against each other yesterday as the race entered its final week.

Ms Connolly accused Fine Gael of reaching "a new low" after Ms Humphreys accused the Galway West TD of profiting from legal work during the economic crash.

Ms Connolly has previously given scant details of her work as a barrister, repeatedly claiming she "represented many people".

Addressing the issue yesterday, Ms Humphreys said she herself had "never tried to make money from other people’s misfortune" and accused her Áras rival of profiting from repossession cases.

The former Fine Gael minister, who managed a credit union before becoming a TD, told the Sunday Independent that she always tried to "keep people in their homes".

Former Fine Gael minister, Heather Humphreys.

She added, "I’ve always tried to help people. I’ve never tried to capitalise on somebody’s misfortune and to make money out of it. And that’s the difference – and I have a very, very clear record on that."

 Fine Gael also criticised Ms Connolly’s legal work yesterday, pointing to instances where the TD called for a moratorium on housing repossessions in the Dáil [Parliament] and accusing the Áras {Presidential] hopeful of hypocrisy.

The war of words moved up a gear in the afternoon when Education Minister Helen McEntee accused Ms Connolly of not being forthcoming over her work as a barrister.

Education Minister Helen McEntee.

Ms McEntee said: ‘"Catherine Connolly had no problem taking work from banks, and then goes into the Dáil to castigate the banks’ criminal behaviour, which cost people their homes, health and their lives. This type of hypocrisy is extraordinary, particularly from someone seeking to be President."

Ms Humphreys and Ms McEntee argued that the "cabrank rule" for barristers is in the context of criminal cases, and both have asserted that Ms Connolly had a choice to represent financial institutions.

Under the so-called "cabrank rule" it is standard practice for barristers to be banned from rejecting cases based on an ideological difference.

Catherine Connolly.

Fine Gael deputy leader Ms McEntee said there was "nothing wrong" with barristers representing financial institutions but claimed Ms Connolly had dodged questions on the issue.

Fine Gael’s statements came as a video of Galway resident Annmarie Folan challenging Ms Connolly on the issue in 2016 began recirculating over the weekend.

Ms Folan told our sister paper, The Irish Mail on Sunday, that she was "shocked" when she learned of the candidate’s previous legal work.

Ms Folan said: "People are entitled to ask questions, and people who will be paying her wages in the Áras are entitled to answers without being told they are shouting."

Speaking in Galway yesterday, Ms Connolly said Fine Gael’s campaign had reached "a new low" and repeated that she "represented many people" as a barrister.

She said: "The campaign has reached a new low, by Fine Gael, absolutely a new low. I’ve carried out each role in my life as professionally as possible. As a barrister, I represented many people, and this is just a new low. I’m just going to keep going and build on my momentum that’s there."

Asked if she would address the claims that she represented financial institutions, Ms Connolly said: "I’ve addressed this over and over. For a candidate for the Presidency to misuse that is just a new low."

Ms McEntee also accused Ms Connolly of changing her opinion on the EU and Brexit during her Presidential campaign.

Extra.ie reported last week that Ms Connolly praised the British people for voting for Brexit in 2016, claiming it was the "first step in exposing the EU".

It came after her campaign scrambled to prove Ms Connolly was a pro-EU candidate the previous weekend after her opposition to the Nice and Lisbon treaties was highlighted during a Presidential debate.

Ms McEntee, pointing to the statements the candidate made following the UK referendum, said: "She [Ms Connolly] lauded Brexit, she said it was good. She said anybody who spoke out against it was fearmongering. I want somebody who is not going to say one thing and their actions say the other."

Taoiseach Micheál Martin also launched scathing criticism of Ms Connolly’s views on the EU yesterday.

Commemoration, said in his speech: "We need to start calling-out people who say, 'Oh, but I’m pro-EU' as they constantly announce and re-announce the supposed end of Irish sovereignty.

"You’re not pro-EU if you stand against every treaty… You’re not pro-EU if you claim it’s controlled by a wealthy elite and can never find a positive word to say about it.

"You’re not pro-EU if you constantly say that it’s destroying our neutrality and is in the hands of a military-industrial complex."

 After the event, the Taoiseach said: "Catherine Connolly is in that camp, there is no question about it."

Ms Connolly has built up a substantial lead in the polls ahead of Friday’s ballot, with a poll last Thursday placing her almost 20 percentage points ahead of Ms Humphreys.

But the Fine Gael hierarchy believes Ms Humphreys can achieve a ‘miraculous’ turnaround in tomorrow night’s final Prime Time debate, citing the example of the collapse of Seán Gallagher’s 17-point lead over Michael D Higgins in 2011.

One senior Fine Gael figure said: "Getting Heather over the line will be very difficult, but not impossible… We are beginning to see a discernible shift. Voters are starting to become irritated over the refusal of Ms Connolly to answer simple questions."

Reporting by John Drennan and Ken Murray.

* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.