Connolly to ‘immediately’ check campaign clip featuring Michael D Higgins

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

Catherine Connolly has said she will “immediately” check out a campaign video that features a short clip of Michael D Higgins.

In a campaign video entitled Why should Catherine Connolly be president of Ireland?, clips are used of Mr Higgins and his predecessors, Mary McAleese and Mary Robinson.

The clips are short and appear as one speaker says “the president represents Ireland on the world stage”.

Asked about the clip and whether she had received permission from Mr Higgins, Ms Connolly said: “I’m not aware of that because I came straight here, so I will check that out immediately.”

Ms Connolly was speaking at Alone’s offices in Dublin city centre.

She is the frontrunner, according to an opinion poll from Sunday, in an election that now features just one other election candidate: Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys.

She continued: “My whole energy from day one and for the next two weeks is putting myself before the people of Ireland and allowing them to make their minds up.

“I think it’s really important that I repeat that this election is extremely important at the junction we are in our history, and also the people decide.

“They don’t decide who’s tanaiste or taoiseach, they do decide who is president of Ireland, and I have the utmost respect for the democratic process.”

A spokesman for the President of Ireland has been asked to comment.