Heather Humphreys has said she “hardly knows what day it is” after being asked where she was for a vote on a public inquiry into the death of a constituent Shane O’Farrell.
The 23-year-old law graduate was cycling home in 2011, when he was hit by a car in Co Monaghan being driven by a man who should have been in jail.
The O’Farrell family have been calling for a public inquiry into the circumstances of his death.
In May, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan apologised to the family for failures in the criminal justice system.
Ms Humphreys was asked about a comment she made on a Virgin Media interview on Monday night where she said she was abroad when a vote on an inquiry was held in the Dail in 2018.
She clarified on Tuesday that she was on a trade mission in the UK up until the morning of the vote and was paired with a member of the opposition including on the day of the vote.
“I was abroad that morning, I certainly was. I don’t know what time the flight come in at to be quite honest with you. As I say, I hardly know what day it is today.
“Seven-and-a-half-years ago, would you remember what time a flight came into Dublin airport?”
Ms Humphreys was speaking as junior ministers and independents Michael Healy-Rae, Noel Grealish, Marian Harkin and Kevin “Boxer” Moran backed her for the Aras.
After Jim Gavin’s dramatic withdrawal, the two candidates left in the race face intense scrutiny at the final round of canvasses and media interviews.
Fine Gael’s Ms Humphreys and left-wing independent Catherine Connolly are due to appear on the final televised debate of the presidential campaign on RTE on Tuesday night.
Among the issues expected to feature are Ms Connolly’s work as a barrister, which has been an attack point by Fine Gael, and Ms Humphreys’ representations on behalf of the O’Farrell family.
Ms Humphreys and Fine Gael have criticised Ms Connolly’s work as a barrister, claiming her time representing financial institutions clashed with remarks on banks in the Dail.
Ms Humphreys said on Tuesday that Ms Connolly was “speaking out of both sides of her mouth” on the banks.
She also denied that she was referring to Ms Connolly when she told the Sunday Independent she had not capitalised on other people’s “misfortune”.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, she said: “I tell you what I’m saying here. I’m saying what I did, and I never did profit from people’s misfortunes, and people were in a very unfortunate situation at that time. And I did a lot of voluntary work for people. I did a lot of work to try and help them, and look, Catherine can answer that for herself.
“Catherine worked for or represented banks to repossess homes, and that’s the fact. I don’t know if she got paid for it or not.”
Asked if she was saying if Ms Connolly got paid for it she did profit from people’s misfortunes, she said: “I’m not saying that. I’m not saying that at all.
“I’m speaking about what I said, that I did a lot of voluntary work. I did a lot of work with people, and I never mentioned Catherine’s name in all of that.”
Asked if she regretted the phrasing of it, she said: “I have said what I said.”
The Sunday Independent interview quotes Ms Humphreys as saying: “When I look back at my time as a credit union manager, I’m different to Catherine because before Catherine got into politics and before I got into politics, she was working for UK banks to repossess Irish homes.
“I was working as a credit union manager and I was trying to help people with huge financial difficulties that they face and I was trying to keep them in their homes.
“I have 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.”
