Heather Humphreys, a long-standing figure in politics, has unexpectedly announced that she will not be competing in the forthcoming general election. This follows a twenty-year political stint, during which time she battled initial instability in her cabinet career, ultimately earning a reputation as a reliable performer.
Before venturing into politics, Humphreys worked at Ulster Bank, and later managed the Cootehill Credit Union in County Cavan. Her election to the Monaghan County Council occurred in 2004, and she further proved her political prowess by heading the polls in the subsequent re-election five years later.
Heather Humphreys secured her first Dáil seat in 2011, taking over from her Fine Gael associate, Seymour Crawford, also a Presbyterian. Her first tenure as TD saw her unexpectedly appointed as the Minister of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht by then Taoiseach Enda Kenny during a 2014 cabinet reshuffle, even though she never anticipated receiving a junior ministry.
Her political journey was not without scandal, especially when John McNulty, a Fine Gael nominee, received a premature appointment to the Irish Museum of Modern Art’s board amidst contesting a Seanad by-election for Fine Gael. Following his resignation and withdrawal from the by-election, Humphreys managed to reclaim her reputation, largely due to her commendable management of the Decade of Centenaries events, including the 1916 Rising memorial.
Her track record caught the attention of then-Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who appointed her as the Minister for Enterprise in 2017. An outspoken spokesperson during Brexit, she recounted her personal experiences with the imposing hard border with Northern Ireland in her youth, advocating for its non-revival.
As Minister for Social Protection, she came to the fore when Covid-19 struck and a new coalition was being formed, at a time when the Pandemic Unemployment Payment was being received by nearly 400,000 individuals.
As the pandemic waned, she has been instrumental in the gradual elimination of such aid schemes. Furthermore, she played a pivotal role in budget allocations that resulted in widespread welfare increments and living expense benefits, including the recent reveal of two separate child benefit payments.
Simon Harris, the Taoiseach, highlighted her initiative to implement an automatic pension enrolment scheme and initiate hot meal services for all primary learning institutions as her key contributions whilst in service.
Taking charge of the Department of Rural and Community Development in 2020 was an optimistic move on her part, given the numerous grants available for nationwide distribution from that arm of the administration.
Following his ascension as leader, Harris appointed her as the deputy leader of Fine Gael.
At the age of 63, Humphreys is wedded to Eric Humphreys, and they are parents to two daughters.
In her formal statement announcing that she won’t be vying in the general elections, Humphreys expressed her gratitude to her family for their unwavering patience and support. She acknowledged the demanding nature of her political career and the toll it takes on her loved ones.
She conveyed her anticipation for spending quality time with her family, specifically her adorable young grandchildren.