The Minister for Health has described as "completely unacceptable", comments by presidential candidate Catherine Connolly that she "would have to think about" hiring a convicted rapist to work in the Áras.
The Fine Gael Minister said she did not understand how there was any ambiguity about the matter.
Ms Connolly made the comment when asked on Newstalk whether she would hire a convicted rapist to work in the Áras who was completely suitable for the role.
It followed questions to Ms Connolly about the employment of a woman in 2019, who had been convicted of possessing a weapon and ammunition.
Ms Connolly had previously said the woman had been "absolutely perfect" for the job.
When asked on Newstalk today about the possible scenario of hiring a convicted rapist to work in the Áras, the Independent presidential candidate said she "would have to reflect on that".
"I'd have to think on that," she said.
"As a woman, I react. So obviously, I would have to reflect," said Ms Connolly.
Speaking at the launch of Ruhama’s annual report, Ms Carroll MacNeill acknowledged that there is a criminal justice system where people with convictions are rehabilitated, "but we don’t allow people with sex offences to work in schools for example, we don’t allow people with gun convictions to work in the Houses of Parliament," she said.
"This should be obvious, and it should be obvious to any parliamentarian, and obvious to anyone running for the role of President," she said.
"I don’t understand how this is even a question," Ms Carroll MacNeill added.
€3,700 allowance used for research on Syria trip - Connolly
Meanwhile, Ms Connolly explained her use of €3,700 of an allowance given to TDs on her trip to Syria.
She visited Syria in 2018 along with Mick Wallace, Clare Daly and Maureen O'Sullivan, and that year she claimed the money and set it out in her annual return to the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO).
However when she announced she was standing in the presidential election back in July, she said she had funded it herself.
This morning, the Independent TD's campaign issued a statement confirming the money came from an allowance that all TDs get arising from their parliamentary activities.
"In 2018, while serving as a TD and in line with Oireachtas rules, Catherine Connolly used a portion of her Parliamentary Activities Allowance under the 'Research' heading to support a fact-finding visit to Syria. The total declared amount was €3,691, as set out in her annual return to the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO).
"This expenditure was made for research purposes: to gather first-hand information relevant to Catherine's parliamentary work on foreign policy, humanitarian issues, sanctions, Irish neutrality and Ireland's role in international institutions. Costs covered standard travel and subsistence. No personal benefit accrued.
"Engagement with people and organisations on the ground in conflict settings is part of responsible parliamentary research. Such engagement does not imply endorsement of any government, faction or policy. Catherine’s record is consistent and clear: a commitment to human rights, active neutrality, humanitarian law and peace."
The statement goes on to say the spending was fully declared in the candidate's 2018 return to the SIPO as required by law.
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Speaking on RTÉ's This Week, Ms Connolly said she met Fares Al-Shehab "in the context of the Chamber of Commerce" for Aleppo, of which he was the head.
However, she added: "In retrospect, when one looks back and sees the comments that he made and you see them, absolutely, this man is utterly unacceptable to me."
She said she travelled to Syria with "a group of activists who had been active in the Palestinian cause", which included former TDs Maureen O'Sullivan, Clare Daly and Mick Wallace.
Ms Connolly said the group "went with a specific purpose of fact-finding on the ground", adding they visited the Yarmouk Palestinian Camp near Damascus, describing it as "destroyed by the Assad regime".
Ms Connolly was due to canvass in Dublin this morning ahead of a radio debate with other presidential candidate, Fine Gael's Heather Humphreys, on RTÉ's Drivetime at 5pm.
It will be presented by Sarah McInerney and Cormac Ó hEadhra, and will also be broadcast on the RTÉ News channel.
