Catherine Connolly ‘welcomes scrutiny’ as she submits nomination papers

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

Catherine Connolly has said she welcomes scrutiny on her as a presidential candidate, as she submitted her nomination papers on Tuesday.

The left-wing independent arrived at Custom House in Dublin on Tuesday afternoon with her two sons ahead of the deadline to submit nominations from 20 members of the Dáil at noon on Wednesday.

Ms Connolly has garnered the backing of Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats, Labour, People Before Profit, and the Green Party as a joint left-wing candidate.

She answered some questions about her views on the IRA’s campaign of violence as well as comments she made on BBC Radio Ulster about whether Hamas has a role in a future Palestinian government.

She said: “Every single conflict is different. What I’ve said about Hamas, I’ve condemned them without hesitation, but I’ve repeatedly said history did not start on the seventh of October.

“I was asked in the context of that, was Hamas a terrorist organisation, and, yes, it has so been proscribed as a terrorist organisation.”

Asked if she agreed with that, she said: “Absolutely, what they did on the seventh of October is outrageous, but I will use the time again to point out that genocide is unfolding on front of our eyes.”

Asked if the IRA campaign of violence was justified, Ms Connolly said: “I think violence is never justified, and I say that from a position as a mother and a pacifist.

“Obviously, we have conflicts throughout the world, including our own government, and we’ve had the Good Friday Agreement, which was wrought out of pain and death and destruction, and we have that now, and we have many structures following from that, with a view to united Ireland.”

Ms Connolly was also asked why she did not take questions from the media at her campaign launch on Monday night.

Asked if she had contact from the Social Democrats or Labour on the wording she had used in relation to Hamas, she said “we had a joyful evening where we actually just enjoyed the historic moment where we’ve all come together”.

“We don’t agree on everything. We’re never going to agree on everything,” she added.

“Let me put on record that I’ve never dodged or evaded a question.

“I’ve had four press conferences, one in Belfast, two outside the Dail and the third one down the Ploughing Championships, facing all of you directly and answering your questions.

“I’ve made myself available on four open forums, Dundalk, Drogheda, Carrig-on-Shannon and Sligo, four open forums.

“I would like to know what other candidate has made themselves available for such scrutiny, and I welcome that scrutiny.

“It is the reason I stood when I did, to allow that scrutiny to take place. It’s the least thing that I have to do as a candidate in the presidential election.”