Former Fianna Fáil minister defends Catherine Connolly's hiring of woman with gun conviction

Ms Connolly denied that she had spoken to gardaí about the woman, or that she had received advice not to hire her

Catherine Connolly (pictured) said she 'believes in rehabilitation' and that Ms Ní Shionnáin was qualified for the job and had 'served her time in prison'. File picture: Sasko Lazarov/© RollingNews.ie

A former Fianna Fáil minister has leapt to the defence of presidential candidate Catherine Connolly amid criticism from the Taoiseach of her decision to hire a woman who had been jailed for firearms offences.

Ms Connolly hired Ursula Ní Shionnain in 2018 after her release from prison because she was “a person who had rehabilitated herself”.