Fine Gael's presidential candidate Heather Humphreys has said she "hardly knows what day it is" after being asked where she was for a vote on a public inquiry into the death of a constituent Shane O'Farrell.
The 23-year-old law graduate was cycling home in 2011, when he was hit by a car in Co Monaghan being driven by a man who should have been in jail.
The O'Farrell family have been calling for a public inquiry into the circumstances of his death.
In May, Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan apologised to the family for failures in the criminal justice system.
Ms Humphreys was asked about a comment she made on a Virgin Media interview last night where she said she was abroad when a vote on an inquiry was held in the Dáil in 2018.
She clarified today that she was on a trade mission in the UK up until the morning of the vote and was paired with a member of the opposition including on the day of the vote.
"I was abroad that morning, I certainly was. I don't know what time the flight come in at to be quite honest with you. As I say, I hardly know what day it is today.
"Seven-and-a-half-years ago, would you remember what time a flight came into Dublin airport?"
Follow live: Renewed clashes over Connolly record ahead of debate
Ms Humphreys was speaking as junior ministers and independents Michael Healy-Rae, Noel Grealish, Marian Harkin and Kevin "Boxer" Moran backed her for the Aras.
After Jim Gavin's dramatic withdrawal, the two candidates left in the race face intense scrutiny at the final round of canvasses and media interviews.
Ms Humphreys and Independent candidate Catherine Connolly are due to appear on the final televised debate of the presidential campaign on RTÉ One tonight.
Harris says no regrets over FG video on Connolly record
Tánaiste Simon Harris has defended the Fine Gael video which questions the work of presidential candidate Catherine Connolly as a barrister during the economic crash.
He said he has no regrets about this when asked on his way into Cabinet as he criticised the Independent presidential candidate.
"No, what I've regret about is we have a presidential candidate who won't answer questions," Mr Harris said.
He said he fully understands the role of a barrister, but added that it is important people "are consistent in terms of their public utterances."
"There are lines quoted in the national media today in a national newspaper from people in Galway that describe one of our presidential candidates as ruthless and relentless in her pursuit of family homes.
"I can't answer that, you can't answer that, it would be really good if she answered that."
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He said there will be an opportunity for her to answer these questions during tonight's debate on RTÉ's Prime Time.
Mr Harris also said it is a "much narrower field" between the two candidates than people expected.
He said Irish people take their vote "very seriously" and are thinking things through.
Yesterday, Fine Gael candidate Heather Humphreys again accused her opponent of double standards for representing banks as a barrister in repossession cases while criticising them as an elected representative.
Ms Connolly has said that the ongoing negativity surrounding the presidential campaign had given her more "steel".
Speaking on Midwest radio in Mayo, she described herself as more resolved than ever to represent the welfare of the people of Ireland if elected president.
She said she represented lots of different people, different associations and organisations when she worked professionally as a barrister.
Ms Connolly said that it was necessary to distinguish between a policy of the government that was "appalling in the past and continues to allow evictions" and the actual work of the courts.
She said that they were two independent systems, and that identifying her with the client was unacceptable.
Meanwhile, Ms Connolly's campaign team has said that as a barrister she "acted on instructions from solicitors across a range of civil matters".
The comments were made in a statement when asked by RTÉ News about a story by the Irish Daily Mail, which alleged that Ms Connolly acted for a bank trying to repossess the home of a young couple in Galway in 2013.
Ms Connolly's campaign team was also asked how many of such cases she was involved in.
In the statement, it said that she acted on instructions from solicitors "as with all members of the Bar of Ireland".
"The cab-rank rule means that barristers are professionally obliged to take work as it comes, ensuring equal access to legal representation and due process for all," it said.
The statement also says that Ms Connolly has not practised as a barrister since entering national politics in 2016 and her record as a public representative stands entirely for protecting people's dignity, fair treatment and lawful process - including those at risk of losing their homes.
"Any suggestion to the contrary is a mischaracterisation of both her professional obligations at the time and the values that have defined her public life," the statement added.
Labour, Soc Dems criticise Fine Gael campaign video
Labour leader Ivana Bacik said barristers are required to maintain confidentiality after they take a case.
Defending Ms Connolly, she said the presidential candidate has given as good an answer as could be required of her and pointed out that Ms Connolly did not practise as barrister after she was elected a TD.
She described Fine Gael's focus on this issue as a nasty tactic.
Nothing is being taken for granted in the Connolly campaign given what can happen in the last week, Ms Bacik said.
Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon called the attacks of Fine Gael on Catherine Connolly shameful and endemic of a party that does not like the fact that they are not doing as well as they would like.
Asked repeatedly whether Ms Connolly had answered the question of whether she represented banks in repossession cases, Mr Gannon said she had answered the questions to the best of her ability.
Mr Gannon said it was his understanding that barristers could not reveal the specifics of cases.
People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy said Fine Gael's "attack video" has backfired and put focus on Ms Humphreys' record in a government whose actions evicted people from their homes.
He said it amounted to Fine Gael scraping the bottom of the barrel in an attempt to save the day for Ms Humphreys.
Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins, meanwhile, said the Minister for Justice had cleared up the issue around Ms Connolly's obligations as a barrister to take cases.
The party might make a call on who it will back in the presidential election after tonight's Prime Time debate.
Mr Collins warned the candidates that he did not want to see anyone "throwing dirt" during the debate.
Additional reporting Mícheál Lehane, Sandra Hurley, PA
