IN the closing segment of the debate, Mr Bruton said he would make the best Taoiseach because he had learned about "getting on with people and bringing them together. He said he had "learned a lot" - about accommodating other view-points. "I make no claims to special insights or special expertise in academic terms or having a vision that is greater than anybody else. But what I do claim that I've been very very good at in the last 2 years is actually getting on with people and bringing them together.
Mr Ahern said he had been "lucky in my life so far" as the son of a farmer: "We never had a lot. Because of that I had to work my way through the education system."
He argued that he was a "good conciliator, a good negotiator, a good bridge maker" and he understood people "because I came up through the people system.
Mr Ahern said he had an insight into "bringing people together: whether it be unionists or farmers, whether it be small business people or big business people."
He said he had a depth of experience in dealing with "difficult things" like legislation for trade unions, "working in Europe and negotiating funds for the country."
Mr Bruton said he "probably discovered strengths in myself that I never knew I had when I became Taoiseach and I'm very proud, really very proud, that this is the first Coalition Government that has lasted its term and is going together to contest the next election.
"That in itself is an enormous achievement and I'm very, very proud of that and I think it's a reason that's going to recommend people to want to support this Government and put it back because it works."
Asked to make his last statement, Mr Ahern said if he became Taoiseach he would be "loyal to the cause. I would work as long and as hard as I possibly can to develop this country into the 21st century, where people will get an opportunity, where a person who feels that they've no voice, their voice will be represented and where I can make this a better country with a better quality of life for people.
For his "last word" Mr Bruton said there were "huge and almost frightening changes taking place," with television channels, communications and medical advances. He said people were "frightened by these changes and what they need is a government that will actually take charge of the change."
He said this would mean that medical advances should be used for everybody, regardless of income and computers would be in all schools, not just fee paying or better-off schools." And everybody would get a chance to be retrained, "so that everybody can aspire to the best jobs that are available.
"It's really a question of a government that's in charge that can bring the best out in people," Mr Bruton said.