Gildea in Killybegs political debate

Deputy Thomas Gildea, along with other notable independent candidates in the forthcoming general election, will tonight counter…

Deputy Thomas Gildea, along with other notable independent candidates in the forthcoming general election, will tonight counter the claim that independents are "a threat to democracy".

Mr Gildea and independent councillor Mr Thomas Pringle, who will both contest the forthcoming election in Donegal South West, will be joined by an independent candidate in the Sligo/Leitrim constituency, Ms Marian Harkin, to challenge the claim at the first in a series of debates in Killybegs this evening.

The event is the first in a series of four debates organised by the Killybegs Tourism Committee, which plans to make the series an annual affair.

Proposing the motion "Independents are a threat to democracy" will be Fine Gael candidate in Donegal South West and former deputy Mr Jim White; a Fianna Fáil county councillor and barrister Mr Declan McHugh; and Labour candidate Mr Seamus Rodgers.

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Deputy Gildea told The Irish Times he believed the debate was well timed ahead of the general election in which he expected to see a lot more independent candidates.

"As a result of my success in the Dáil, I think a lot more independents will be running in this election. If I can take a seat in Donegal South West, it proves that it can be done anywhere in the country", he said.

The organisers of the four debates are confident the next three weeks will attract as much interest as tonight's debut event. The following week the topic "Do the Garda need Patten?" will be debated, with representatives from the SDLP and UUP taking part.

The next debate in the series will see Bishop Pat Buckley and others yet to be announced discuss whether or not we have lost our Celtic spirituality.

The final debate in the series will see one side claim that Irish family law discriminates against men. Speakers for this event have yet to be announced.

The debates will be held in the Tourism College in Killybegs, with the first commencing tonight at 9pm. Entry is €5 for adults and €3 for students.

Daniel Browne