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In her opening remarks, Ms Connolly said: “I look forward to serving as President of this country. It will be an absolute privilege to do that, and I say to the people who are listening and watching that I do so with humility and pride, and I will serve the people of Ireland to the best of my ability”. Later in the debate, speaking on foreign affairs, Ms Connolly said she had no difficulty “looking forward to serving as President of Ireland and using my voice in different ways, as diplomatically as possible, in compliance with the Constitution.” With the most recent polling showing she is 18 points ahead of Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys, unless there is a dramatic late shift, Ms Connolly appears on course to enter Áras an Uachtaráin as Ireland’s 10th President when counting concludes on Saturday. Heather Humphreys sticking to her script Meanwhile, Ms Humphreys appeared to have prepared answers for some of the questions she was likely to face during the debate. This included a section on Shane O’Farrell, a young man who was killed while cycling home in a hit-and-run by a driver who was out on bail. Ms Humphreys repeatedly said she had sympathy for the O’Farrell family and that she had spoken with Shane’s mother, Lucia, on the phone. When pressed on the matter several times, Ms Humphreys reiterated her apology but refused to say whether she believed it was an error of judgment not to meet Ms O’Farrell in person. Candidates and their regrets Both candidates were asked about their biggest regrets during their time in politics. Ms Humphreys said her main regret related to rules that prevented families from being with dying relatives during the covid-19 pandemic. “What really hits me hard is the fact that there were regulations there where, when your relative was dying, you couldn’t hold their hand. You couldn’t whisper something in their ear, and that stays with me,” Ms Humphreys said. She added that the Government could have found a way around it. Meanwhile, Ms Connolly said she regretted agreeing with the Government on those same restrictions. “I actually regret agreeing with that, but I went because the fear was so extraordinary that I went with it. Afterwards, I did not give support to the Government after that because the bond of trust was broken,” Ms Connolly said. She added that the Government had promised to return “regularly” with a review of restrictions, but this did not happen. Who would they nominate to the Council of State? One less-discussed aspect of the presidency is the power to nominate seven individuals to the Council of State. This body advises the President on their powers, particularly regarding the referral of legislation to the Supreme Court to test its constitutionality. Ms Connolly said she wanted to appoint a diverse range of people, including those with disabilities, young people, and older people. Meanwhile, Ms Humphreys said she would aim to increase female representation, striving for a 50:50 gender balance at meetings. She added that individuals with expertise in climate change would be “very useful” additions to the Council of State.
