CATHERINE CONNOLLY IS leading the race to the Áras, according to the first poll since the nominations closed. 

The Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll asked which one of the three presidential candidates people would vote for in the election. 

The results show the Independent Galway TD on 32%, nine points ahead of Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys who is on 23%. 

Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil’s Jim Gavin sits at 15%, down five points since last month. While the former Dublin GAA manager won’t be happy with those figures, the polling also shows that 31% of people remain undecided less than three weeks out from election day.

The poll was conducted on Thursday and Friday last week. The sample side was 1,430 and the margin of error was 2.6%.

It comes as the three candidates prepare to take part in the second debate of the campaign on RTÉ’s The Week in Politics at 12pm. 

The debate will follow a week when each of the Áras candidates had to explain themselves in relation to three respective controversies.

The Journal reported on Wednesday that Connolly had hired Ursula Ní Shionnáin as an administrative support when the TD was on the Oireachtas committee for the Irish language in 2018.

Ní Shionnáin, who also goes by Shannon, was sentenced to six years in jail in 2014 after being found guilty by the Special Criminal Court of unlawful possession of firearms and possession of ammunition.

Amid criticism from Taoiseach Micheál Martin, who said the move showed a “serious lack of judgement”, Connolly defended her decision on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne.

She said that Ní Shionnáin was recommended to her by a number of TDs who carry out regular prison visits. It was Clare Daly, the former TD and MEP, who recommended that she contact Ní Shionnáin, she said. 

Connolly also said that she “abhors violence” but said that Ní Shionnáin had been a “model prisoner” and was looking to “get back into the workforce”. 

Heather Humphreys this week found herself insisting hat she supported the introduction of legislation to impose stricter penalties on drink drivers, after former transport minister Shane Ross said she was “absolutely opposed” to it.

Humphreys voted for Ross’s bill, which passed in 2018, but he said she was one of a number of Cabinet ministers at the time who “made it clear” that she was opposed to it. 

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The former Cavan-Monaghan TD said she “absolutely supported that legislation”.

Meanwhile, Jim Gavin had to take down and re-edit two social media posts over issues raised regarding the Defence Forces.

One video had to be taken down and re-edited as it showed Gavin, a retired Defence Forces member, running while talking about “a call” he just had yesterday morning with a member serving on the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon.

He also had to remove and re-edit a campaign video showing uniformed army personnel clapping as he participated in a road run. The social media post also included a photo of Gavin with his arm around the Defence Forces chief of staff.

The issue with both posts is the Irish Defence Forces are meant to be an apolitical organisation. 

Earlier this week, Gavin was forced to explain how drone footage, which did not have the proper permission to fly and film, appeared in one of his videos.