FEARS RIVALS

CATHERINE Connolly claimed "politics of fear" were being used against her after Heather Humphreys came out hard in the first head-to-head debate between the pair.

- BY GRAINNE NI AODHA

The Fine Gael candidate said her independent rival had “legitimate questions to answer” and also accused Ms Connolly of insulting allies of Ireland.

However, Ms Connolly insisted that she is a “committed European”.

The two women are the only candidates in the presidential race after several high-profile figures failed to secure nominations from elected politicians and after the withdrawal of Fianna Fail candidate Jim Gavin.

In yesterday's debate on RTE's This Week programme, Ms Connolly rejected claims from Ms Humphreys that she is not pro-business or pro-Europe, and described allegations that she had insulted allies of Ireland as “inaccurate”.

She said: "I have been pro-business all my life. My father was a qualified plasterer and then became a small builder. I fully understand the business side.

"I'm absolutely pro-European. Asking questions of the military industrial complex and the direction that the compass is going in Europe, it’s not the same as anti-European. I'm a committed European and a committed European asks questions."