Connolly to consider publishing correspondence on Garda clearance for employee

Catherine Connolly said she would consider publishing correspondence relating to her attempts to obtain security clearance for an employee convicted of a gun crime.

The independent candidate, who has the backing of left-wing opposition parties, said questions being put to her about hiring a woman convicted of firearm offences have “backfired”.

She was asked about the story after appearing on a debate on RTE Radio’s This Week programme with Fine Gael candidate Heather Humphreys.

Asked after the debate if she would publish correspondence, she said: “I’ll take advice on that in terms of GDPR and that, but the email was simply asking where the process was at because it was taking so long, it was actually trying to elicit information, ‘what is the delay?’.

“Most of the emails are between the person, or whatever contact is between the person and the system in Dail Eireann, not with me, and I put in an email asking ‘where is this at?'”

Ms Humphreys said on RTE Radio that Ms Connolly had “legitimate” questions to ask about hiring a woman for six months who was convicted by the Special Criminal Court for possessing firearms.

As Garda clearance was pending, Ms Connolly gave her access daily for six months to the Houses of the Oireachtas.

The woman then left of her own accord due to the length of time the security clearance process was taking.

Ms Humphreys said on air: “I’d like to ask Catherine, did she ask that person what she was going to use the guns for, the member of Eirigi, who was convicted by the Special Criminal Court.

“She was brought into Dail Eireann without Garda approval, and we all know you have to have your staff vetted. This didn’t happen.”

Ms Connolly replied: “Allegations are being made again that I broke the rules or that the vetting has to be done before the person comes in, that’s not accurate.

“I’m really upset that this person’s privacy has been absolutely trespassed upon for the purposes of trying to damage me. I believe it has backfired.”

On European issues, Ms Connolly said she “campaigned actively” and “proudly” against the Lisbon Treaty, but said she couldn’t remember how she voted in other EU referenda.

During the radio debate, Ms Humphreys said she had voted against “every European treaty”, to which Ms Connolly replied, “that’s absolutely wrong”.

Ms Connolly told the Dáil in 2022 that she “proudly” canvassed against the Lisbon and Nice treaties due to concerns about “the militarisation of Europe”.

Asked after the radio debate if she had ever voted for an EU treaty, she said: “Probably, yes. I’d have to think back.

“Lisbon stands out for me because I went out actively against it for two reasons.

“One was the military industry complex and the direction we were going, and the other was the blatant neoliberal ideology that sets out the price of everything and the value of nothing.

“But I have no recollection of canvassing against any other treaty.”

Speaking in Dublin on Sunday evening, Labour leader Ivana Bacik backed Ms Connolly’s stance on the EU.

Ms Connolly clarified that she had “grave difficulties” with the fiscal treaty of 2012.

Asked if she had concerns about Ms Connolly’s stance on the EU, Ms Bacik said “none at all”.

“I absolutely agree with everything Catherine has just said.”

She said when she ran as an MEP she was also critical of a militarised EU and neoliberal ideologies.

Asked if she had ever objected to housing, Ms Connolly said: “I never objected to housing. I might have put in submissions where I expressed my concerns, sharing the concerns of the residents, perhaps over my lifetime in politics, I don’t know, that could have happened.

“I have never objected. I have shared concerns on occasions, not many, and after considerable time with the residents and meeting them and studying the plans.”