Heather Humphreys: The former TD ready to re-enter politics and run for presidency

Ms Humphreys said 'the tank is full' and she is ready to enter politics again

Heather Humphreys was one of a massive cohort of new TDs in the Fine Gael-Labour government in 2011. File photo: Leah Farrell/© RollingNews.ie

Formidable, amiable, capable.

Ask those who have dealt with Heather Humphreys closely and you will get some combination of those phrases or their synonyms. 

Ms Humphreys is warmly regarded across the political spectrum and hugely respected within her Fine Gael party, where she was seen as a vital figure over the last 14 years.

Born Heather Stewart in the village of Drum, County Monaghan, Ms Humphreys is a Presbyterian whose father was a member of the Orange Order and whose grandfather signed the Ulster Covenant rejecting Home Rule. 

In 2016, Ms Humphreys wrote that "given my background as a Protestant and an Ulsterwoman who is a proud Irish republican, I appreciate the need to respect the differing traditions on this island".

She worked with Ulster Bank before joining Cootehill Credit Union, where she worked from 1999 to 2011. She was popular within the movement and has frequently referenced her time as a credit union manager as being formative to her political beliefs. 

Political start

She was co-opted onto Monaghan County Council in 2003 when the dual mandate was abolished and Seymour Crawford kept his Dáil seat. Ms Humphreys would be elected in her own right in 2004 and 2009, becoming mayor of the county that year. 

In 2011, Mr Crawford opted to retire from politics ahead of the 2011 election, leaving Ms Humphreys as the party's candidate.

Becoming one of three Fine Gael TDs to take a seat in the five-seat Cavan-Monaghan constituency, Ms Humphreys was one of a massive cohort of new TDs in the Fine Gael-Labour government of that time. In 2014, however, she would receive a promotion.

She has spoken about how in 2014 during Enda Kenny's reshuffle, she was drinking tea with colleagues in the Leinster House canteen when Mr Kenny called for her. 

Appointed Arts Minister she undoubtedly leap-fogged colleagues to carve out a place in Cabinet, but the move generated goodwill for the popular deputy from her colleagues, rather than jealousy.

Unable to hide her surprise at the elevation, Ms Humphreys received the biggest round of applause for any minister when she walked into the Dáil chamber.

Controversy

However, her tenure would get off to a rocky start as she became embroiled in a controversy over, of all things, a Seanad by-election. 

Ms Humphreys had appointed John McNulty to the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art six days before he launched his bid for the Seanad on the Cultural and Educational Panel. The move was widely criticised by political opponents as an attempt to 'qualify' him for the Seanad role, though she had denied any hand in his Seanad bid. 

The incident caused tensions with Labour and ended with the Government losing a Seanad by-election.

Recovery

But Ms Humphreys would recover from that rocky start and was praised for her handling of the 1916 centenary commemoration before being made Minister for Enterprise in 2017 under Leo Varadkar amidst turbulent Brexit talks.

She would be appointed Social Protection Minister when the Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael coalition came to power and took on the justice portfolio during Helen McEntee's maternity leave.

She announced her retirement from politics before last year's general election, but said on Tuesday "the tank is full" and she is ready to run again.