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Heather Humphreys: long-serving TD was Cabinet mainstay through Fine Gael years in government

Co Monaghan Presbyterian was handed ministerial portfolio in her first term by Enda Kenny and rose to party deputy leadership

Heather Humphreys became one of Fine Gael's most solid Cabinet performers. Photograph Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times
Heather Humphreys became one of Fine Gael's most solid Cabinet performers. Photograph Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times
Cormac McQuinn
Sun Oct 20 2024 - 11:07

The surprise announcement by Heather Humphreys that she will not contest the upcoming general election comes after two decades in politics.

She overcame a shaky start to her career in Cabinet before going on to become one of its most solid performers.

Previously working for Ulster Bank and later as a manager at Cootehill Credit Union in Co Cavan, Humphreys was first elected to Monaghan County Council in 2004 and topped the poll when she won re-election five years later.

Humphreys (64) is married to Eric Humphreys and they have two daughters. She is Presbyterian.

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She was first elected to the Dáil in 2011 when she retained the Dáil seat vacated by Fine Gael colleague Seymour Crawford.

As a first-time TD she was an unexpected choice when then-taoiseach Enda Kenny appointed her as minister for arts, heritage and the Gaeltacht in 2014 as part of a reshuffle.

As a new TD, she had not even anticipated getting a junior ministry.

She was embroiled in controversy when Fine Gael nominee John McNulty was appointed to the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art in advance of a Seanad byelection he was contesting for Fine Gael. He later resigned and withdrew from the byelection.

[ Heather Humphreys: 1916 commemorations belong to all (2016) ]

Humphreys recovered from this, however, and was widely praised for her handling of the Decade of Centenaries including the commemoration of the 1916 Rising.

She was appointed as minister for enterprise by then-taoiseach Leo Varadkar in 2017 and spoke out during the Brexit process on her experience of the hard border with Northern Ireland in place during her youth and why it should not return.

Humphreys took over as Minister for Social Protection when the current Coalition was formed at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic at a time when as many as 400,000 people were receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.

She oversaw the phasing out of such supports as the pandemic receded.

More recently was at the heart of giveaway budgets that saw across-the-board welfare increases and cost-of-living payments such as the two double child-benefit payments to be paid shortly.

She was appointed as Fine Gael deputy leader by Simon Harris after he became Taoiseach

The introduction of a pensions auto-enrolment scheme and the roll-out of hot meals to all primary schools from next year were hailed by Harris as some of her key achievements.

Humphreys said on Sunday that the department was the one she enjoyed the most and the hot school meals initiative was her “pride and joy”.

She also took the helm at the Department of Rural and Community development in 2020 – widely seen as a ‘good news’ brief given the various grants available to spread around the country.

In her statement confirming she will not contest the general election she said “politicians are human too”, noting that as she gets older, her “health and energy levels are not what they were”.

She told RTÉ radio that she told Harris of her decision in August and he asked her to reflect on it.

She said she was “exhausted” after the June elections and she was unable to “recharge the battery” afterwards.

“I spoke to my family and they were concerned about me. I spoke to medical people – now it’s not the case that I’m dying or anything – there’s nothing major wrong with me but they said ‘you’re in your mid sixties, you need to slow down’.”

She said Harris was “very understanding”.

Humphreys thanked her family “for their patience and support” saying that the stress and time away from home politics entails “takes its toll on everybody. I really am looking forward to spending more time with you and particularly my two beautiful little grandchildren.”

Cormac McQuinn

Cormac McQuinn

Cormac McQuinn is a Political Correspondent at The Irish Times