The Fine Gael candidate for the Presidency has once again accused her opponent of double standards for representing banks as a barrister in repossession cases while criticising them as an elected representative.
Speaking on the Big Interview with Colette Fitzpatrick on Virgin Media One, Heather Humphreys said of Catherine Connolly: "She is speaking out of both sides of her mouth that's the problem here".
She defended her record in government saying: "I stepped up to the plate, I made difficult decisions," saying she was glad she went into government because "I was able to make a difference".
She added that she had to pursue people for bad debts when she managed the Credit Union in Cootehill but added: "I never evicted anyone from their home".
Earlier, Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan said that it is not correct or fair to criticise lawyers because of the actions of their clients.
His comments came after Fine Gael hit out at Ms Connolly's work as a barrister a number of years ago, including in home repossession cases.
The issue was the subject of a social media video from the party last night.
Mr O'Callaghan said that he was reluctant to comment on the Presidential Election campaign, but there was an obligation on a lawyer to provide legal services to their client.
"That's absolutely essential for the administration of justice, that all parties in either civil or criminal proceedings are fully and competently represented.
"Just because a lawyer takes on a case for a client doesn't mean that the lawyer is endorsing the behaviour or opinions of that client. They're simply providing legal services.
"I've noticed in recent years, from all sides of the political spectrum, criticism being directed at lawyers because of the clients who they represent," Mr O'Callaghan added.
Watch: 'Obligation on lawyers to represent clients,' Minister for Justice says
Fine Gael is doubling down on its criticism of Ms Connolly with Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill saying the issue was not her work as a barrister, but her "lack of transparency when speaking so forcefully as a TD or as a councillor on matters such as repossessions, banks and evictions".
"Time and again Deputy Connolly stood in the Dáil and spoke on these issues never once declaring her role - she was not silent on the issues, why was she silent on her role?" the minister asked.
Ms Carroll MacNeill also criticised Opposition parties for remaining silent "on their candidate’s complete secrecy".
"Are they comfortable with Deputy Connolly’s work on home repossession and her failure to declare it in the Dáil?
"Did she disclose it to them beforehand? Are their parliamentary parties and members comfortable with this?"
The minister suggested that Ms Connolly could have "taken the opportunity, as many of her colleagues have done, to preface her Oireachtas remarks - when discussing banks, repossessions, evictions - that she was and is particularly well informed in this area as she has chosen to and represented both financial institutions and indeed, homeowners".
Fine Gael 'absolutely terrified' of campaign, Connolly says
Responding, Ms Connolly said that Fine Gael was "absolutely terrified" by her growing campaign, has gone "negative" and attacked her work as a barrister.
Speaking in Dublin, she said: "I think Fine Gael are terrified, actually. I think they're absolutely terrified that the movement that I represent - the symbol of a new movement for a new Republic - I think they're absolutely terrified. And that they would resort to such tactics, just reflects on their terror and their fear."
Ms Connolly said that it was "very, very disappointing" that the campaign wasn't focused on the candidates' "vision for the presidency" but instead the attention was on "what work I did or didn't do as a professional barrister."
She said the Bar Council had clarified "on more than one occasion" how barristers cannot be connected to the people who they represent in court, adding "but Fine Gael are still resorting to these tactics".
Asked if she should have mentioned in the Dáil that she represented banks in home repossession cases, Ms Connolly replied: "There is no connection with the two. I worked in different roles and did each role as professionally as I could.
"There is no connection with the two at all. I repeatedly ... one of the major reasons why I stayed in politics - housing and health and neutrality.
"And housing, the 16,000 plus people who are homeless, directly consequent on government policy, is an obscenity."
Fine Gael sinking to 'new depths' - Social Democrats
The Fine Gael video was described by Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore - a Connolly campaign team member - as being straight out of the US political playbook.
Her party leader Holly Cairns accused Fine Gael of sinking to "new depths" with its negative campaigning against Ms Connolly.
Deputy Cairns said the ongoing attacks on Ms Connolly's work as a barrister was nothing more than "mudslinging" and "a desperate attempt to damage" her.
"Fine Gael are clearly in panic mode and are so intent on lashing out that they have not noticed that they are part of a circular firing squad - damaging their own candidate and their credibility."
The Cork South West TD said that Ms Connolly's "positive and inclusive campaign" would "not be derailed by these cheap and vicious attacks".
"It is an essential principle of our legal system that barristers are not associated with their clients and that barristers must accept cases in their area of speciality.
"The duty of confidentiality that barristers owe to their clients is also at the core of that professional relationship," she added.
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Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik criticised what she described as the "craven and dangerous attack" on Ms Connolly's work as a barrister.
Ms Bacik, who has also worked as a barrister, said she was outraged by the video, adding that Fine Gael "should know better".
"The duty of barristers to accept instructions and the right of clients to be legally represented are cornerstones of our constitutional order. To chip away at these principles is dangerous.
"It is utterly wrong and misconceived of Fine Gael to mount this sustained nasty attack upon Catherine Connolly merely because she practised as a barrister, represented clients professionally and does not speak publicly about those clients," she said.
Ms Bacik added that during her career as a barrister she represented many criminal and non-criminal clients before the Special Criminal Court and other criminal and civil courts.
"Indeed, it is well-known that the current Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan, who also maintained a professional practice while serving as an Oireachtas member, also represented clients whose views and values he patently did not share," she said.
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Connolly has questions to answer, FG insists
Fine Gael TD Barry Ward said that his party's video about Ms Connolly's so-called "hypocrisy" regarding her time as a barrister has gone viral because there are questions that people want answered.
He told RTÉ's Drivetime that the Independent deputy had she had an ethical obligation to say that she worked for the banks and she never did say that in the Dáil.
"We have been talking about this for weeks," Mr Ward said, adding that it was not just a tactic for the last week of the campaign.
A Labour Party TD told the same programme that it was bottom of the barrel "desperation tactics" from Fine Gael and it was bringing the legal profession into disrepute.
Ciarán Ahern said that Fine Gael was trying to diminish the trust and confidence the public has in the legal profession.
He added that he was surprised the post by the party was still online.
"There are no rules about this," Mr Ahern said in response to Mr Ward's criticism.
Duty of a barrister to accept instructions - expert
Barrister and lecturer at the UCD Sutherland School of Law James McDermott said it is the duty of a barrister to accept instructions "in any case in their area of practice".
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, he said that they can turn down a case if they are too busy, do not have expertise in that area, or there is a conflict of interest.
"But other than those exceptions, if it's within your area of expertise and you're available and you can do the work, then you should do the work.
"If you practice in criminal law, on the defence side, you might have to defend a bank robber or somebody who has allegedly committed an assault.
"If you do that in your professional practice, you wouldn't accuse the barrister of somehow being sympathetic to bank robbers or to people who go around assaulting people."
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Mr McDermott said it is important that everybody who is involved in litigation has access to legal representation and that lawyers are not picking and choosing cases on the basis that they are sympathetic to a particular position or person.
"We're an independent bar and it's important for reasons of access to justice that everybody is entitled to be defended in the appropriate circumstances," he added.
