Catherine Connolly clarifies comments about hiring sex offenders

Catherine Connolly has clarified her comments about hiring sex offenders at Aras an Uachtarain.

She told reporters on Thursday afternoon she would “absolutely not” employ someone who had spent more than two years in prison for sexual crimes, meaning they were on the sex offenders list.

She was asked the question after it emerged she had recruited a woman convicted of a gun crime to work on an Oireachtas committee.

Earlier in the day, Heather Humphreys had said she was “shocked” by Ms Connolly’s response to a question about whether or not she would employ a convicted rapist at Aras an Uachtarain.

The independent candidate said she would “have to think about it” during an interview on Newstalk’s The Hard Shoulder podcast on Wednesday.

When asked if she would also have to reflect on the issue, Ms Humphreys replied “absolutely not”.

She said does believe in rehabilitation and that people should “get a second chance”, but there are “different levels of convictions, different levels of crime” and she would not employ a convicted rapist at the president’s official residence.

Ms Humphreys said she wondered what victims of sexual assault would feel if they “thought a convicted rapist could be employed at Aras an Uachtarain by the possible next president of Ireland.”

The Fine Gael candidate met workers on their lunch breaks at the Mespil Road Lunchtime Market on the bank of the Grand Canal on Thursday afternoon.

The presidential hopeful spent much of her time at the campaign stop fielding questions about her political rival’s campaign.

Reacting to reports former Fine Gael minister Ivan Yates had suggested she “smear the bejaysus” out of the Independent candidate Ms Connolly, Ms Humphries said: “I’m basing my campaign on what I want to be as president of this country.”

Speaking on Newstalk’s Calling It podcast, Mr Yates said if Fine Gael asked for his advice on her campaign he would “go bullheaded” because there is “nothing to lose”.

Asked whether her campaign is losing momentum, having spent a week being overshadowed by stories about current and former candidates, Ms Humphreys said: “I’m happy that I’m getting out and about.

“I’m meeting people, I’m telling the people of Ireland how I want to represent them, how I want to be a president that unites people.”