Leaders engage in lively three-way debate

The economy and Fine Gael's policy on the Irish language dominated tonight's leaders' debate, the third of the 2011 election campaign.

The debate, moderated by Nuacht TG4’s chief newscaster Eimear Ni Chonaola, was the first ever Irish language television leaders' debate and featured the liveliest exchanges of the campaign to-date.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore, Fine Gael's Enda Kenny and Fianna Fáil leader Mícheál Martin exchanged views on national and regional issues including agriculture, fisheries, tourism and the Irish language.

Ms Ní Chonaola started the debate by asking each leader about their vision for the country.

Mr Gilmore's was a confident performance. He said his vision was one where the people would re-take control of the country from the bankers. Practically, he said Labour would kickstart the economy and create jobs to ensure the young people of Ireland would no longer have to emigrate.

The Labour leader said his party wanted a fair and equal health service and that every child should be able to read on leaving primary school. Calling for political reform, Mr Gilmore said he would hope for a new constitution by 2016 to establish a new, second republic.

Mr Gilmore spoke of a return of confidence and national pride through a vision of employment and development based on fairness and equality.

In response to the same question, Mr Kenny said Ireland should, by 2016, be the best country in the world in which to do business, the best place to raise a family and the best place on earth where people would age with dignity.

The Fine Gael leader said his party is focused on bringing that vision about with the implementation of its 5 point plan. This, he said, would protect and create jobs, reduce administrative costs, the cost of health-care and the cost of running government.

Mícheál Martin said the country should look towards 2016 "with hope". He said Fianna Fáil had a plan, one which was realistic, brave and one which could set things right again. He said his party would create up to 150,000 jobs and would put the public finances in order. He said his party wanted to fundamentally change Irish politics.

During exchanges on economic issues the opposition party leaders rounded on the government's record on the economy with Eamon Gilmore saying Fianna Fáil's worst mistake was to bailout Anglo Irish in a deal he said was supported by Fine Gael and Sinn Fein.

Mr Kenny was highly critical of the €100 billion injected into the banks including €35 billion spent on Anglo Irish Bank. He said this money could have created 200,000 jobs and ended emigration.

Both Mr Gilmore and Mr Kenny said they wanted to renegotiate the IMF/EU deal - which was described by Mr Kenny as a 'bad deal'.

The Labour and Fianna Fáil leaders rounded on Enda Kenny over how he would reduce the public service by 30,000 without resorting to non-voluntary redundancies.

Mr Kenny insisted the measure would be implemented over a number of years and would not mean enforced redundancies.

Eamon Gilmore and Mícheál Martin both attacked Fine Gael's proposal to make Irish an optional subject choice for Leaving Certificate students. Mr Kenny was accused of not scientifically examining the removal of compulsory Irish and Mr Gilmore said the language would die out if the Fine Gael measure was implemented.

Mr Kenny defended his position.

"You are trying to make it sound as if I am trying to do away with Irish altogether", he said.

"That is not the case, I am trying to strengthen it. My own children went to Irish college", Mr Kenny insisted.

Mr Gilmore said Labour is in favour of keeping Irish as core subject. "Not to do so would lower status of Irish, it would wreck the Irish language sector", he said.

One of the lighter moments came following a comment made by Mr Kenny when he insisted mathematics, as a subject, was not mandatory for the Leaving Cert. Mr Kenny's opponents rounded upon him insisting, in chorus, that it was in fact mandatory.