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LAST UPDATE | 20 Oct
HEATHER HUMPHREYS WAS questioned by reporters today over the credit union that she formerly managed taking legal proceedings over loan defaulting during the time that she was manager.
Humphreys faced questions from media today about the credit union’s legal proceedings in the wake of the Fine Gael campaign upping its criticism of fellow presidential candidate Catherine Connolly for representing banks in home repossession cases through her work as a barrister.
As polling day draws near and candidates enter their final days of campaigning, Connolly’s work representing banks as a barrister during the crash has been picked up by the Fine Gael campaign as a point of scrutiny.
Meanwhile, legal documents reviewed by The Journal show a small number taken by Cootehill Credit Union to the High Court over loan repayments around the time of the financial crash.
Humphreys was the manager of Cootehill Credit Union in Cavan from 1999 to 2011.
Asked today about the credit union seeking judgements over loan defaults, Humphreys said that “legal proceedings took place but only as a matter of last resort”.
“A credit union has a duty to look after the savings of those who deposit their money with the credit union. Unfortunately, in some cases, and always with the approval of the board of directors in the credit union, legal proceedings took place, but it was only as a matter of last resort,” she told reporters while canvassing in Gorey, Co Wexford.
“I can tell you that nobody lost their house when I worked in the credit union,” she said.
“I never evicted anybody from their house. Definitely not. And that is something the credit union has always tried to do, to work with people and give them a chance and try to allow them to get themselves back on track.”
Speaking on Virgin Media’s The Big Interview with Colette Fitzpatrick, Humphreys addressed questions about her time managing the credit union:
“Legal proceedings took place but only as a matter of last resort. A credit union has a duty to look after the savings of those who deposit their money… I never evicted anybody from their house. Definitely not,” Humphreys said.
On her criticism of Connolly, she added: ”It’s a double standards, because Catherine was representing banks to repossess houses, and at the same time she was standing up and she was criticising the very same banks.
“She was calling them criminals,” Humphreys said.
When asked if anyone had been evicted, Humphreys said: “That’s completely different. I never evicted anybody out of their home.”
Fine Gael and Humphreys have been critical of Connolly’s role representing banks during repossession cases.
In response, Connolly and the Bar Council of Ireland have pointed to the cab-rank rule which prevents barristers from declining cases for personal reasons.
A video was shared online by Fine Gael yesterday entitled ‘Catherine Connolly’s hypocrisy’, during which a voiceover highlights the party’s questions over the presidential frontrunner’s previous career.
Humphreys again criticised aspects of Connolly’s previous work today, accusing her of a “double standard” of working with banks on repossession cases while criticising banks.
Humphreys was asked if she made it clear that she managed a credit union if she spoke in the Dáil on the tracker mortgage scandal and mortgage repossessions.
“I never stood up in the Dáil and spoke about any of those things, I can assure you,” she said.
Oireachtas records show that Humphreys spoke during a debate on a motion about mortgage arrears in the Dáil in 2013.
When asked about Fine Gael barrister who represented clients in other controversial cases, Humphreys said “barristers have a job to do”.
“The point I am making is, how can you stand up and give out and criticise and castigate banks and at the same time you’re working for them to repossess houses”.
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