Heather Humphreys v Sean Kelly: Strengths and weaknesses of rival Fine Gael candidates
Who is she?
She retired in November 2024 after 13 years in the Dáil, 10 of which she spent as a senior minister. Born in 1963, she lives in Newbliss, Co Cavan, and was a bank official and credit union manager before becoming a TD. She is a Presbyterian.
Humphreys had an unsteady start as the new minister for arts in 2014 after being catapulted into the role from the backbenches by then-taoiseach Enda Kenny.
Her political naivety showed in her poor handling of a controversy over the party's backing of a Donegal businessman and Fine Gael activist in a byelection to fill a vacancy in Seanad Éireann. Despite having no experience in the area, John McNulty was appointed to the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art so he could show he was a qualified person for the Seanad's cultural panel.
It was a ready-up, and Humphreys, as arts minister, had to deal with the flak. She floundered in the early interviews.
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She learned a lesson from that and never repeated the mistake, being careful and prepared in all subsequent public interviews.
Over time, Humphreys became an indispensable ally to three taoisigh: Kenny, Leo Varadkar and Simon Harris. Her ministries were in areas where she had a strong suit. She was minister for enterprise during Brexit and had to work to ensure the North-South hard border did not re-emerge. She was minister for social protection during Covid. Her other brief in rural and community affairs saw her visit virtually every community in the country.
Strengths
Humphreys is one of the few Fine Gael politicians who is popular across party lines. Her time in the rural affairs brief has made her a familiar figure in virtually every hamlet in the State. That popularity is reflected in the fact that three Independent Ministers – all from the Fianna Fáil gene pool – have backed her. They are Michael Healy-Rae, Seán Canney and Noel Grealish.
Fine Gael candidates have not traditionally had a broad appeal, but there is hope that Humphreys, like Mairéad McGuinness, can change that. That she is a border politician and member of a minority religion would be a boon for North-South relations. From a republican perspective, she was the minister who oversaw the successful Decade of Centenaries, including the commemoration of the 1916 Rising.
Potential weaknesses
Opposition parties have zeroed in on her role in Enda Kenny's 'austerity' government and her policies when minister for social welfare that affected people with disabilities. She told two reporters from the Ditch to f*** off outside her constituency office. That is similar to Michael D Higgins using an expletive during a radio row with a right-wing American commentator, when he was still a TD. It's not something that will affect her chances.
She would be seen by others as an old-school, establishment and veteran Fine Gael grandee even though she is 10 years younger than Seán Kelly, and six years younger than Catherine Connolly.
Having had an antagonistic political relationship with Sinn Féin during her Dáil career, Humphreys would need to convince its supporters she would represent them while not sharing their views.
She is associated with rural Ireland and may struggle to attract non-Fine Gael votes in Dublin. Her Irish language skills are poor.
Possible political banana skin?
No particular skeletons in the cupboard. She is seen as a 'safe pair of hands' and is unlikely to take risks or push boundaries in the same way Higgins has done. Some voters may look for more 'vision' for the presidency and find her to be too conventional a candidate.
Seán Kelly
Who is he?
Seán Kelly is now 73 but the Kerryman is still an energetic presence in Irish politics. A former schoolteacher in St Brendan's Killarney, he came to national prominence as a GAA administrator, first in Kerry and then nationally before making the transition into politics.
He has been involved in GAA administration since his 20s, first in Kerry, then in Munster. He was elected president of the GAA in 2003, the first person from Kerry to hold the office.
His greatest achievement during his term was overseeing the change to Rule 42, which prohibited the playing of non-Gaelic games in GAA stadiums. It paved the way for rugby internationals and soccer internationals to be played in Croke Park from 2007.
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The presidency is not a Rose of Tralee contest for over-35s
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Fine Gael made a number of approaches to him before he accepted an invitation to stand for the party in the European elections in 2009. It followed a trend of parties, particularly Fine Gael, seeking high-profile candidates outside conventional politics to become candidates. His Fine Gael EU parliamentary colleagues Mairéad McGuinness and Maria Walsh came into politics in the same way.
Kelly's candidacy put some noses out of joint internally in Fine Gael. Simon Coveney had been elected to the parliament in 2004 but stood down in 2007, being replaced by Colm Burke. Supporters of Burke were resistant to a two-candidate strategy. In the event, Kelly finished second to Brian Crowley, winning almost 20 per cent of the vote. He has performed strongly in the three subsequent elections.
Strengths?
Kelly's great strengths are as an organiser, networker and communicator, as well as his willingness to travel far and wide. He is a very active politician in Brussels and the constituency. His extensive GAA experience, especially in Munster, has given him a strong base and network of support, outside of Fine Gael. He is a fluent Irish speaker and often speaks as Gaeilge in parliament. He has had a special interest in energy policy.
Weaknesses?
He could be considered too Munster. While amassing an impressive 123,000 votes in last year's European election, his appeal outside his southwest base is limited. Having spent his entire career as an MEP, it has put him at a disadvantage with parliamentary colleagues based in Leinster House, who would have closer connections to Heather Humphreys. Both of those factors are reflected in his struggle to reach the threshold of 20 parliamentary nominations, where most of his backers are Munster-based. Having demonstrated in his GAA career that he is a moderniser, he is nevertheless seen as a traditional Fine Gael politician in terms of outlook.
Possible political banana skin?
Some controversies from his time in the EU parliament. He was one of four Fine Gael MEPs, including Mairéad McGuinness, who voted against a non-binding motion in parliament that proposed increasing, improving and better organising search-and-rescue missions for migrants and refugees setting out in boats from North Africa to cross the Mediterranean.
He defended the stance saying that, under the proposal, people traffickers could have gained access to information being shared by rescuers.
'It would lead to more lives being lost and more money for people smugglers who would now have carte blanche to do what they like,' he said at the time.
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Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Letters to the Editor, August 21st: On Norman names, Tony Holohan and the Shannon pipeline
Catherine Connolly's suitability Sir, – I refer to two letters in today's Irish Times ( August 20th ) discussing Catherine Connolly 's suitability for the presidency, following the interview with her in Saturday's paper in which she expressed her very outspoken views on the US, EU, Nato, neutrality etc. Surely this is completely missing the point. The presidency is not, and should not be, a political appointment. This is a post in which the incumbent is obliged to represent the views of the majority and the government of the day. The person elected must be able to represent us all at all levels, nationally and internationally, with dignity, impartiality and intelligence. President Michael D Higgins can get away with expressing his heartfelt views at times because he has been in the post for nearly 14 years. He has earned that right. Catherine Connolly would need to trim her vocals to suit the role and I somehow doubt if she is able to do that, having already 'shot her bolt' so forcefully at this stage. – Yours, etc. PHYLLIDA WHITE, READ MORE Kilmanagh, Co Kilkenny, Oasis rubbish Sir, – My jaw dropped on Monday morning driving from Dorset Street across the apparently aptly-named Binn's Bridge. Whether it was the wonderful weather or high jinks before the Oasis gig in Croke Park on Sunday, I certainly turned left in anger (on to Whitworth Road) on seeing the amount of rubbish left around the Royal Canal. If citizens fail in their duty, litter wardens could clean up on such a day. Or event organisers should be required to have rubbish collectors on the main routes and known litter black spots before and during the gig as seen recently at Zach Bryan. There is no excuse. – Yours, etc, KATE HOGAN, Stillorgan, Co Dublin. A break for the health service Sir, – I recently spent my summer holiday in Ireland, and was unlucky to have an accident which resulted in a double fracture in my right arm. Because of the injury, I was treated in five different public hospitals – Ennis, small injury clinic; Limerick, fracture clinic; Croom, surgery; Castlebar, ED; Kilkenny ED – and I would like to express my thanks for the absolutely excellent level of treatment and service that I received everywhere. An extremely high level of efficiency, and, most importantly, I was greeted and treated with kindness and empathy by everyone I met, from receptionists to porters, nurses to surgeons. As I regularly read reports of the failings of the Irish health service, I feel it is very important to share my extremely positive experience. – Yours, etc, SARAH IRONSIDE, Brussels, Belgium Discerning taste Sir, – Concerning the correspondence about people not taking the top paper of the pile but rummaging and taking the second or third paper ('Discerning taste', Letters, August 19th ). A long time ago the Death Notices were printed on the back page of The Irish Times. Many people would turn over the first paper of the pile and have a quick look at the notices without having to buy the paper. – Yours, etc, SEAMUS STEPHENSON, Clontarf, Dublin 3. Sir, – Guilty as charged, I must confess that I am one of those unscrupulous Irish Times readers berated by Tony Corcoran ('Discerning taste', Letters, August 19th ). I regularly take a sneak preview of the paper on the shelves, but I always fold it back neatly and replace it in the second or third position in the bundle. – Yours, etc, JOHN LEAHY, Wilton Road, Cork. Race for the Áras Sir, – Reading Kathy Sheridan's column (' Tony Holohan's reluctance to admit mistakes sits badly with the national mood ,' Opinion, August 19th), I worry as to the idea that one man, an accomplished doctor who helped lead the country through a difficult and unprecedented crisis, might be considered unelectable given a loud minority of conspiracy theorists and nutcases, whereas another man who recklessly and unapologetically mismanaged the State, allowing the boom to become even boomer until the economy collapsed leaving scars still palpable up and down the country, should see no impediment to election. I occasionally wonder at the leaders of certain major nations, thinking: of all the millions of people they have to choose from, is this the best they have? An exception was Ireland over the last two presidential mandates. I fear the exception may be about to end. – Yours, etc, JOHN F McELHONE, Eden Road, Rosbeg, Co Donegal. What's in a Norman name Sir, – Fintan O'Toole has, in a single article (' Sinn Féin may reject commemorating the Normans, but there are some suspiciously Saxon names in its ranks ,' Opinion, August 19th) successfully demolished this mythical concept of 'We Irish' as being descendants of the inhabitants of an ideal world in ancient times – a world of pure Gaelic Irishness. After waves of invasions (including that of the Vikings), we find the Normans arriving. While they directly came from Wales, they were in essence representing the French King Henry II, who ruled over most of France at the time. After each of these invasions, we learn that the invaders 'became more Irish than the Irish themselves'. Fast forward to the 20th century, and we see in our history books 'unusual' names of key figures who featured centrally in the struggle for Irish freedom – Hobson, Hyde, Griffith, Spring-Rice, Childers, Lemass, de Valera, Casement, Gonne, Gore-Booth etc. Now, we would not find such names among the Irish chieftains who were forced to submit to the Norman invaders. Rather, the families of these people came to Ireland in the centuries that followed, which demonstrates that as a people we have evolved over time to be the 'Irish' we are right now. The Normans form part of that evolution and. to borrow a familiar expression, they are 'part of what we are', whether some like it or not. – Yours, etc, EAMON O'FLYNN, Merrion Road, Dublin 4 Sir, – Fintan O'Toole (' Sinn Féin may reject commemorating the Normans, but there are some suspiciously Saxon names in its ranks ,' Opinion, August 19th) makes a common mistake as regards Irish surnames. In the 18th century in Ireland, many ordinary people did not have a surname, and, in order to give themselves a lift socially, they adopted the surname of the local landlord. In other words, there are many people in Ireland today, sporting particular surnames, who have no genetic connection whatsoever to those surnames. – Yours, etc, SÉAMAS de BARRA, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14. Sir, – Fintan O'Toole's recent article (' Sinn Féin may reject commemorating the Normans, but there are some suspiciously Saxon names in its ranks ,' Opinion, August 19th) reminded me of another piece in your paper a decade ago by John Grenham in the Irish Roots column on how our surnames were Anglicised. As that article concluded: 'As guides to ethnic origins, surnames in Ireland can be very treacherous indeed.' I suspect few supporters of Sinn Féin would deny the Anglo (Norman) roots of Wolfe Tone, Parnell or Pearse. Reasonable people cannot deny Mr O'Toole's conclusion that the Irish, like every nation, are 'a product of multiple invasions and migrations, colonisations and resistances, settlement and unsettlement'. Nonetheless, Mr O'Toole should be far more hesitant to take English-sounding names like Clarke, Sands and Hughes at face value. – Yours, etc, EOGAN HICKEY, Brussels, Belgium. Carbon credits and promises Sir, – The recent exchange between ActionAid Ireland and Verra's CEO in your newspaper (' A wolf in sheep's clothing, the false promise of carbon credits ,' Science & Climate, August 14th; Letters, August 20th) exposes the peculiar logic of carbon offsets: the more they fail, the louder their defenders claim they're indispensable. Karol Balfe rightly argues that carbon markets 'almost always fail to provide any real climate benefit' and amount to both a 'policy failure and a moral failure'. And the evidence is damning. Independent investigations – including by the Guardian and Die Zeit – found that over 90 per cent of rainforest offsets certified by Verra were essentially worthless. The reductions existed principally on paper. Meanwhile, offset schemes have been connected to land grabs, weakened community rights, and displacement in the Global South – hardly the marks of 'climate justice'. Even the projects described as success stories do not alter the basic arithmetic. A tonne of CO₂ released today is not retroactively cancelled by a promise that another tonne might, some day, be absorbed elsewhere. It is the climate policy equivalent of running up a credit-card bill and insisting one is solvent because next month's wages might cover it. Climate action cannot be reduced to accounting tricks. Offsets provide cover for delay – allowing companies and governments to declare progress while emissions keep climbing. 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Ryanair and global warming Sir, – Celestine O'Reilly writes of her disbelief that Ryanair is set to increase the number of seats out of Ireland by 15.5 per cent this winter ( Letters, August 20th ) despite evidence of the impact of global warming. Ryanair, like all businesses, responds to customer demand which clearly favours travel over climate impact, especially at such low prices (I too am guilty). Therein lies the issue. People pay lip service to the concept of dealing with climate change as long as it doesn't impact them – 'somebody else should do something about it'. I don't profess to have a solution to the problem, but blaming companies is an overly simplistic argument. Ultimately, people drive demand and therefore change – and solutions must start there. – Yours, etc, SEÁN DOWLING, Timoleague, Co Cork. Sir, – Based on our ongoing enthusiasm for air travel, even in the face of catastrophic climate change, Ryanair are very confident that most of their extra winter seats will be booked and paid for (' Ryanair adds 600,000 seats to Irish winter schedule ,' Business, August 16th). Maximising profits is their primary aim. Why should we expect them to care about climate change, unless and until it affects their bottom line? Michael O'Leary has ample evidence that Ryanair does not need to 'keep passengers happy', or to act responsibly in the face of climate change. Why bother, as long as they operate within the law and the money keeps rolling in, in ever-increasing quantities? Celestine O'Reilly ( Letters, August 20th ) refers to the 'insanity' of pumping out increasing amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. I agree with her, but we must accept that whenever we choose to fly with Ryanair, or any other airline for that matter, we are among the many millions who are putting their hands to that pump. – Yours, etc, KATHERINE QUIRKE, Dún Laoghaire Co Dublin. Shannon pipeline and MetroLink Sir, – Is there any chance that Michael O'Leary has a twin brother? A brother who has access to a white horse, who realises that Uisce Éireann's proposed Shannon pipeline project needs to be scrapped? The similarities between the MetroLink and Shannon pipeline projects are interesting to say the least. The Greater Dublin Water Supply study was started by Dublin City Council in 1996, nearly 30 years ago. A feasibility study was commissioned in 2004 and the results was the 'silver bullet' that was to be the Shannon pipeline. The initial estimate for the project was €700 million. This increased to €1.6 billion by 2016, and in June 2024, the major projects advisory group recommended that an estimated cost of €10.4 billion would be needed – €10.4 billion no less, and no one has batted an eyelid. Some €67.6 million has been spent on the project between 2014 and 2024, and not a pipe laid. Serious consideration was not given to alternative solutions. For instance, the rivers in the East – the Liffey, Slaney, Boyne and Barrow – have a combined flow three-quarters that of the Shannon and the incremental development of these, together with the proper utilisation of the Poulaphouca reservoir (Blessington Lakes), would provide the same solution at a fraction of the cost. Existing investment is being ignored and existing resources are being underutilised. The Irish taxpayer has already paid for the construction of a 22kmsq reservoir (Poulaphouca) at the Blessington Lakes for this specific purpose, to store water for summer supply when the rivers are low. So why is Poulaphouca not being used as a long-term solution? Poulaphouca holds 190 billion litres of water and is one of the biggest reservoirs in these islands. Poulaphouca was originally intended for water supply primarily. The greater amount of the reservoir is devoted to electricity generation, a minuscule amount of electricity in the context of the overall electricity generation of the country. This must change and water supply be given priority. Cost would be almost zero. Thames Water in England are proposing to build a facility smaller than Poulaphouca (150 billion litres) and say it is needed to secure the supply for 15 million Londoners. Fifteen million no less! Poulaphouca is the centre of any possible solution in any instance, so why build a pipeline? Just optimise beneficial use of the reservoir together with the rivers of the east and save the country several billion euro. – Yours, etc, KAY MULLANE, River Shannon Protection Alliance, Ballina, Co Tipperary.
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Government ‘should take advantage' of stable building costs now, say surveyors
The Government should cash in on stable building costs by 'pushing forward' with its €275 billion National Development Plan , construction and property professionals said on Thursday. Construction costs rose 1.5 per cent in the first six months of the year, a report from the Society of Chartered Surveyors of Ireland (SCSI) said. Tomás Kelly, the society's vice-president, noted that the rate of building cost inflation had been easing over the last two years, hailing it a welcome development. 'The current period of tender price stability provides a great opportunity for Government to push forward with the much-needed infrastructure investment across a range of sectors,' Mr Kelly said. READ MORE He said the society welcomed this summer's updated National Development Plan, which earmarks €275 billion for spending on housing, water supply networks, electricity grid, transport and healthcare up to 2035. Mr Kelly said the water supply network needed investment 'urgently'. State-owned utility Uisce Éireann recently highlighted to Government the challenges it faced in building the infrastructure needed to supply water to the 300,000 new homes that the Coalition wanted built in the Republic by 2030. Why is Ireland not considered a truly rich country? Listen | 39:28 Government has allocated €36 billion of the national plan's total budget to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage . The Department of Transport will get more than €22 billion. Big projects under its supervision include the controversial MetroLink line proposed from Dublin city centre to its airport. Mr Kelly, whose society represents quantity surveyors, the construction professionals who calculate the cost of building projects, also stressed that the State should boost the electricity network. EirGrid and ESB Networks , the companies responsible for this infrastructure, are seeking regulators' approval to spend up to €19 billion over the next five years. Each government department involved has to publish individual 'sectoral investment plans' detailing how they will spend the cash allocated to them. Mr Kelly urged the Government to publish these proposals quickly to provide details on the projects likely to get under way between now and 2030.
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Irish independent senator ‘seriously considers' Presidential bid but fears Catherine Connolly has support ‘sewn up'
McCarthy pointed out the unfairness in the democratic parties for voting NEWLY elected Senator Aubrey McCarthy revealed that he would "seriously consider" running for President if there was support available for him. Independent Senator, who is also the founder of the homeless charity Tiglin, stated that "people that I have never even heard of put my name forward". 2 He is the founder of the homeless charity Tiglin Credit: Darren Fletcher Photography - Commissioned by The Sun 2 Senator Aubrey McCarthy addressed requests to put his name forward for the Aras race Credit: Alamy Speaking on RTE's Drivetime with John Cooke, he stated that his name had come up in the residential discussion in recent days. McCarthy added that, although he may not be known nationally, his charity has helped people across the country. He said: "Anybody who knows me, knows what I stand for. Nationally, I would say that I wouldn't be known but the charity I helped set up, Tiglin, has helped families from the four corners of Ireland… I have been involved for 20 years working in advocacy homeless." And that he was approached by a number of politicians in the Seanad and in Dail Eireann about putting himself forward as a candidate for the race. However, he revealed that it was "not possible" for him to gain the support of 20 members from the Oireachtas, adding: "Catherine Connolly has sewn up a lot of the independent route". "And then you go down the council route and you need the four councils. "The problem there is that there is meant to be a Diktat coming from Fine Gael to say their councillors have to support a Fine Gael candidate. "Fianna Fail, we don't know yet, but if that's the case, then that route is closed too." According to McCarthy, who was recently elected to the Seanad, it is difficult for any independent person to do so without widespread support. He added: "For a democracy, it does not sound very democratic." 'Sad to see him go' - GAA fans emotional seeing Michael D Higgins attend last men's All-Ireland final as President When asked if he would "seriously consider" running for president of Ireland, he responded that he would if there was widespread support. He also revealed that he has received phone calls from councillors to see if he would put himself forward. McCarthy said: "Without that broad support, who is going to put your posters up in Lifford, in Sneem in Kerry and also who is going to give you €500,000 to run." 'NOT VERY DEMOCRATIC' The charity found said he has heard several parties that have told members only to vote for their party's candidate, stating that "if that is the case, that is not very democratic". And he has talked to people in major political parties and would seriously consider it if he received their nomination. McCarthy claimed that although he "has not heard back" from the major parties, he has received feedback from members of those parties who are able to respond. The conversation on the show also revealed that he has called on the parties not to instruct their councillors to vote only for their party's candidate, which he said would "create a level playing field". He said: "You need independents on the ballot, in order to make the presidency a proper campaign, you can't just have it dictated by the political parties, that is unfair and undemocratic." McCarthy stated that if he were a Fianna Fail or Sinn Fein candidate, he would consider it to get support; otherwise, it wouldn't be a successful campaign.
