Heather Humphreys
Fine Gael
From my roots in rural Ireland to my work in communities across the country, I have always believed in the power of people working together. I understand the hopes and concerns of families, workers, and communities, and as President I will be a caring and trusted representative for all.
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Community is where my heart has always been. As President, I want to honour and celebrate the unsung heroes, the volunteers in our communities.
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Unity has never been more important. I believe the President can be a unifying force in this country who brings people together.
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I believe in opportunity. As President, I want every child growing up on this island to know there are no limits to what you can achieve.
These answers were provided by the candidate
Foreign policy and defence
1 of 25 questions
The ‘triple lock’, determining when the Defence Forces can serve as part of an international force, should be retained
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"No other country should have a veto over where members of the Irish Defence Forces serve. "
- Heather Humphreys
Foreign policy and defence
2 of 25 questions
Ireland should cooperate more with European Union member states on defence
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"A neutral country needs to be able to defend itself. The cyberattack on the HSE, which originated in Russia and caused significant disruption to health services for Irish people, shows that we need to work with our European partners. "
- Heather Humphreys
Foreign policy and defence
3 of 25 questions
European integration has gone too far
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"Membership of the European Union has been hugely positive for Ireland. There are many areas, such as renewable energy, medical research, among others, in which we can deepen co-operation for the benefit of all Europeans. "
- Heather Humphreys
Foreign policy and defence
4 of 25 questions
Ireland needs to invest more heavily in defence and security
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"Cyberattacks, the use of drones, and interference with undersea cables, all highlight that we need to be able to better defend ourselves. Additional investment is taking place in a structured way following the comprehensive report by the Commission on the Defence Forces."
- Heather Humphreys
Foreign policy and defence
5 of 25 questions
Ireland should be willing to assist in the defence of any EU member state that is attacked
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"While Ireland continues to be militarily neutral, we already assist countries that have been attacked with humanitarian aid and it’s important we continue to do so."
- Heather Humphreys
Foreign policy and defence
6 of 25 questions
NATO is partly to blame for the war in Ukraine
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"Russia alone has brought war back to Europe by attacking and invading the sovereign and independent country of Ukraine. "
- Heather Humphreys
Foreign policy and defence
7 of 25 questions
Ireland should unilaterally cut economic ties with Israel
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"Trade policy is one of the areas that EU members pool together. Ireland continues to press for an end to the conflict in Gaza and this has included seeking a review of trade with Israel."
- Heather Humphreys
Foreign policy and defence
8 of 25 questions
Hamas cannot be allowed to form part of any future Palestinian government
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"As someone who is committed to the two-state solution, a government with the best chance of success for its people is one that works to improve opportunities for its people, not one that devotes its energies into attacking civilians or invading other countries. "
- Heather Humphreys
Role of the President
9 of 25 questions
The president should refrain from publicly criticising government policy
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"The President is above politics and as first citizen takes precedence and speaks for all the people of the Irish nation. "
- Heather Humphreys
Role of the President
10 of 25 questions
The president should keep their opinions on political issues to themselves
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"The President can be a moral compass and can speak out when she sees injustice. However, it is not the job of the President to interfere in the day to day running of the country. The President can bring communities together, promote opportunities for all, and strive to unify people."
- Heather Humphreys
Role of the President
11 of 25 questions
The president has the power to refer a Bill to the Supreme Court to test its constitutionality. This power should be exercised very rarely.
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"The President has a special role in upholding the Constitution. However, once a bill is referred to the Supreme Court it cannot be challenged again. Therefore, a balance needs to be found. "
- Heather Humphreys
Role of the President
12 of 25 questions
The president should be fluent in the Irish language
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"It would rule a lot of people out of running for the office if only fluent Irish speakers could be President. One of the best Presidents we ever had, Mary McAleese, was not a fluent Irish speaker when she took office. A President should do his/her best to improve their proficiency in Irish."
- Heather Humphreys
Role of the President
13 of 25 questions
The president should give back a portion of the €350,000 salary to the State
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"The President as first citizen receives a very good salary. If successful, I would follow the precedent of Michael D Higgins (who was also a former Minister) and would gift my ministerial pension back to the State."
- Heather Humphreys
Irish unity
14 of 25 questions
A border poll on a united Ireland should take place within the next seven years
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"There is a lot of ground work that needs to take place to unify people from all traditions on this Island before a referendum takes place. "
- Heather Humphreys
Irish unity
15 of 25 questions
Ireland should be willing to change its flag and national anthem as part of a process to bring about a united Ireland
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"The Irish Flag belongs to everyone and represents all the traditions on our Ireland through the inclusion of green and orange. It is a symbol of reconciliation and peace. "
- Heather Humphreys
Irish unity
16 of 25 questions
Ireland should be willing to rejoin the Commonwealth as part of a process to bring about a united Ireland
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"With the new annual Ireland-UK summits, as well as the British-Irish Council, we have good opportunities to engage with our nearest neighbours. "
- Heather Humphreys
Society and economy
17 of 25 questions
Ireland should introduce strict quotas on the number of migrants coming into the country each year.
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"Ireland already has quotas for workers in certain occupations as well as for international agreements on asylum seekers and refugees. "
- Heather Humphreys
Society and economy
18 of 25 questions
Ireland should be willing to send failed asylum seekers to deportation hubs outside the EU’s borders.
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"As part of the EU, the EU Migration and Asylum Pact which aim to better manage movement of people, will shape new Irish legislation. Ireland should have a firm but fair migration system. "
- Heather Humphreys
Society and economy
19 of 25 questions
Minority groups need to be protected with new laws against hate speech
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"Freedoms of speech and expression are important rights. But they must be balanced with protections for any group of people vulnerable to attack. "
- Heather Humphreys
Society and economy
20 of 25 questions
Abortion should be allowed in a wider range of circumstances
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"The current legislation reflects the decision of the people of Ireland in the 2018 referendum."
- Heather Humphreys
Society and economy
21 of 25 questions
Ireland should celebrate its Christian heritage and seek to uphold Christian values
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"My faith is very important to me. However, the President of Ireland is the president of all of the people in Ireland, including those of faith and of none. "
- Heather Humphreys
Society and economy
22 of 25 questions
All national schools should come under the patronage of the State, thereby ending religious patronage
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"As set out in the Constitution, parents are the primary educators of their children and it is important that parental choices be provided for. "
- Heather Humphreys
Society and economy
23 of 25 questions
Gender identity and transgender issues should be taught in Irish schools
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"This would require careful consideration by the Government of the day. It’s important that curriculums are age-appropriate. "
- Heather Humphreys
Society and economy
24 of 25 questions
There should be a right to housing in the Constitution
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"The Constitution already has a number of defined and undefined personal rights. A right to housing could act as a statement of intention to tackle a very difficult challenge that faces our country. The key focus must to be to increase the supply of Housing. "
- Heather Humphreys
Society and economy
25 of 25 questions
Protecting the environment and tackling climate change is more important than economic growth
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- No opinion
Comment:
"A growing economy, with full employment, provides the resources needed for our country including for further investment in initiatives to tackle climate change. We should not pit one against the other and we should all strive to protect our environment."
- Heather Humphreys