Leaders’ debate live updates: Harris, Martin and McDonald clash on economy, housing and potential coalitions

The final leaders’ debate of the 2024 general election campaign has concluded.

Fine Gael’s Simon Harris, Fianna Fáil’s Micheál Martin and Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald featured in the live Prime Time debate, presented by Miriam O’Callaghan and Sarah McInerney.

The leaders clashed on the economy, housing, the Dublin riots, health spending, climate action and discussed potential coalitions.

Key Reads

• Jennifer Bray: Five key moments from the debate
• Who should I vote for? This comparison tool could help

Final Word on the Debate - Quotable Quotes

Here are some of the best quotes from tonight’s debate

Mary Lou McDonald on Sinn Fein’s proposals for a review of RTÉ's overage of Gaza: “I am struck by the very defensive reaction from some to this. The BBC, for example, had a peer review which looked at their coverage on migration.”

Micheál Martin: “We all remember Sinn Féin’s proposals on the energy crisis. It was the exact same as Liz Truss’s with the British economy. It caused a huge panic and almost blew the British economy.”

McDonald on bank’s attitude to Sinn Féin affordable houses proposals: “The banks agree with parties in Government and not in Opposition benches.”

“At no stage has the Banking Federation that we will not lend into a scheme of this nature. They have set out their requirements. That is what they do.”

McDonald: “I don’t think painting a doomsday scenario is smart.”

Simon Harris:  “It is not the time to run the country on a national credit card.”

Harris (to McDonald): “My party has never collected a garda killer from a prison.”

Harris channels Francis of Assisi:  “Lord let me be climate friendly but not yet.”

Mary Lou McDonald’s reaction to the debate on social media

Jennifer Bray’s Five Takeaways from the Debate

After spending the two hours closely listening to the debate, these are Jennifer’s key moments of the debate.

Mary Lou McDonald is asked about attitude of banks to Sinn Féin’s housing policy

As she leaves, the Sinn Féin leader is asked by Jennifer Bray is she confident banks will approve mortgages for Sinn Féin’s proposed affordable housing scheme.

She says the banks have set out their requirements for mortgages to be granted and Sinn Féin is absolutely confident it can meet the requirements.

Expect that to be very closely scrutinised over the next few days.

Takeaway question: Have the banks backed Sinn Féin’s affordable housing plan?

The key moment in the debate revolved around housing and Sinn Féin’s proposal that people can buy houses where they will own the building but not the land. There is still a doubt about banks being comfortable about giving mortgage approval for these new arrangements. Mary Lou McDonald under pressure from the presenters and from her rivals did not fully clarify the situation.

Here’s Micheál Martin as captured by Jennifer Bray as he left the studios.

He says that McDonald’s reply was that the banks had not said no but she had not been in a position that the banks had said yes.

Consensus that none of the three really knocked it out of the park

As you can see from the social media posts of Pat Leahy and others there is a view that this debate will not determine the outcome of the election as the Bertie Ahern versus Enda Kenny one did in 2007.

So what is the verdict?

Simon Harris was probably the winner. He was lucky they dealt with the RTÉ and Charlotte Fallon question early. He had most ground to make up and the trickiest assignment in terms of judging his tone.

He became increasingly assertive and scored a few big points against McDonald. Both he and Martin became more and more like government colleagues towards the end rather than political rivals.

Martin was a bit more cautious. Too cautious at the beginning. A lot of detail – too much – in some of his replies. He became more assertive towards the end and was actually strongest on the coalition options.

It was a strange debate for Mary Lou McDonald. She struggled on housing (especially on the questions about banks backing the party’s affordable housing proposal) and did not have the same grasp of detail as her rivals in terms of explaining the party’s approach to finances. She did not respond to Harris’ brazen go at her on justice.

Martin did not do himself any harm but probably less prominent than Harris.

Five years ago she was the clear winner of the first debate but I think her performance tonight was not persuasive enough to sway enough voters in the direction of Sinn Féin.

The Issue of Trust

So now, the Martin McMonagle case in the North is brought up, and Sinn Féin governance.

Harris is asked about John McGahon and repeats the fact that if he were convicted he would not have run.

Strangely, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin does not have a recent scandal, which must be a first for the party.

All have fielded those questions before so nothing new emerges.

It ends rather tamely.

Climate Change opens Third Part

All of the parties scored an ‘E’ in the Friends of the Earth examination of their manifestos so none have much to crow about.

Micheál Martin has been the lowest key of the three and has not really got involved in any of the body punches. Again his answer is detailed and non controversial ... And non impactful.

Was Micheal O’Leary lobbying when he met with Paschal Donohoe? asks McInerney. Has he influenced your climate change policies, she asks? No.

Now Sinn Féin on carbon tax. McDonald uses her party’s stance that it was intended to change behaviour but that can’t be done in rural Ireland where public transport has not been developed.

They are “lazy, punitive and Government has ensnared them on reliance on this as their single mechanism” to deal with it.

She is stronger on this section. So far.

A paraphrase of St Francis of Assisi from Harris. “Lord let me be climate friendly but not yet.”

Harris is probably the strongest of the three at this stage, despite his constant muttering off mike.

Coalition options now

Miriam O’Callaghan says that Sinn Féin constantly gets 20 per cent of the vote and that will mean that Fianna Fáil will have to deal with it. He completely rejects the premise of the argument, saying that the percentage a party gets has nothing to do with it.

Is it not arrogant for you to say that if they get 25 per cent of the vote, you can ignore Sinn Féin, asks O’Callaghan.

He contends it’s to do with core principles and argues that it’s an “extraordinary proposition” that Fianna Fáil must deal with Sinn Féin based on how well the latter does in elections.

He says Sinn Féin is not pro-enterprise and pro-Europe.

He is reminded that he ruled out Fine Gael five years ago.

Harris says the same of Sinn Féin.

Now it’s Mary Lou McDonald.

Cue muttering from Harris about not being able to come up with a fresh line after five years.

Now a more substantial point from her. She says the core thing is the maintenance of power.

“The reality is there is political life beyond Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.”

Martin has been strong in this section. So has McDonald.

A direct attack from him on Sinn Féin accusing it of opting out for 80 years. He argues the country has moved from being one of the poorest to one of the richest.

She makes the strong point that many of the country’s young is now living in other countries.

There is a sense that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are now working in tandem with each other.

The moment where Harris and Martin actually disagreed

Justice and Anniversary of Dublin Riots

So presenters trying to find a wedge between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael under Justice. McInerney asks Harris and Martin in turn how they handled it and then asked Martin is he criticising Fine Gael?

Now McInerney refers back to a photograph from a year ago. She defends it.

“The State lost control of the streets of the capital. I was very critical of Minister Helen McEntree and I stand by that position,” says McDonald.

She claims that under Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael people no longer feel safe.

That has prompted some very heated exchanges.

Harris claims that Garda families at home will be feeling “quite sick” at Sinn Féin presenting itself as the party representing gardaí.

He tells McDonald he will “not take a lecture from you on law and order”.

“My party has never collected a garda killer from a prison.” That’s a reference to former TD Martin Ferris collecting the killers of Garda Jerry McCabe from Castlerea Prison upon their release.

The exchanges are between Harris and McDonald but the Sinn Féin leader not coming back as you would expect her to respond.

Martin is staying out of the fray.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil attack each other ... and Sinn Féin too.

Martin claims nothing about new health staff in the Fine Gael manifesto.

Simon Harris has been muttering a lot off camera.

He denies it.

At least another €5 billion in health spending, to allow us to recruit more people, he argues.

Getting a bit tetchy now.

“You have an embargo (on recruitment),” claims McDonald to that claim, saying you could not make that up.

Harris accuses her of snickering.

She in turn accuses him of having a brass neck and allotting a derisory amount to mental health services.

Half Way Stage

The questions are tough.

Miriam O’Callaghan now asking about Aoife Johnson.

Micheál Martin denies her death is a failure of Government but is a failure of UHL.

Simon Harris is asked about scoliosis which is an Achilles heel for him. His promise when Minister for Health has haunted him.

The tone is more muted now.

Mary Lou McDonald is asked about the record of the Sinn Féin government in the north where the NHS has struggled.

“That part of the country still relies on the British treasury and they are not minded to fund it,” she says.

She pivots the answer back to UHL, which is a sensitive spot for the Government, saying there is a need for facilities in Ennis and Nenagh.”

“I don’t want to shock Mary Lou but I happen to agree with you,” says Simon Harris.

HOUSING

Another shemozzle.

Micheál Martin is dwelling on the detail, sometimes to the point of boredom.

Simon Harris is needling, and is interjecting with McDonald.

McDonald can spar but she can be found wanting on detail sometime, which can be a disadvantage.

Harris denies Fine Gael has never put party before country on housing. McInerney has cited Eoghan Murphy.

Micheál Martin has a difference of opinion with Sarah McInerney over the Housing Commission report. He doesn’t accept it but he says that it has some good points.

McDonald is grilled on whether or not banks will lend to people under Sinn Féin’s plan where the house will belong to the buyer but the land will be owned by the State or local authority.

“The banks agree with parties in Government and not in Opposition benches,” she replies gnomically.

“I don’t know what that means,” says Harris.

She says the banks have identified a number of issues but has never said that they will not lend.

At no stage has the Banking Federation that we will not lend into a scheme of this nature. They have set out their requirements. That is what they do.”

I think she has struggled a little bit here.

A key moment of the Debate

Mary Lou McDonald had difficulty explaining if Sinn Féin’s scheme to build houses where the homeowners owns the building but not the land will be given mortgages by the banks.

Cost of Living

This is where the big divides are emerging and we are seeing very different viewpoints from each of the parties.

We are also seeing each attacking the other, and it’s not all Sinn Féin versus the other two.

Miriam O’Callaghan says Sinn Féin would narrow the tax base and increase spending. How will Sinn Féin square that, she asks.

“Actually, our tax package is very balanced, and it is unapologetically in the first instance, directed at people who are on middle and lower incomes, although every worker will be better off on our proposals bar those who have extraordinarily high individual earnings.”

She also claims there is a €1 billion hole in Fianna Fáil’s tax policies.

Martin’s riposte: “We all remember Sinn Féin’s proposals on the energy crisis. It was the exact same as Liz Truss’s with the British economy. It caused a huge panic and almost blew the British economy.

“Sinn Féin is proposing €3.5 billion increases in taxes. That’s an enormous increase in taxes, which will destroy our enterprise economy. If you’re a small, medium sized company, very often, you would spend five to six years building up your company, working night and day, to get that company to profitability. As soon as then you begin to make decent profits, you want to be crucified by Sinn Féin. You will crucified by Sinn Féin tax. Sinn Féin, do not get the enterprise economy.”

Harris has a small cut at Martin saying that people are still living with the scars of that financial crash. “We have to learn from that as a country. That’s why my party, and in agreement with other parties too, is saying we want to set aside at least €50 billion to buffer our country from economic shocks.”

Turning to McDonald he asks: “Your party is planning to spend €52 billion, where is the buffer if this transatlantic (shock) happens?”

Ms McDonald says the party has a buffer. She claims that any worker earning up to €100,000 is better off under Sinn Féin.

“Not true, not true,” taunts Harris, asking what will do if the economyh loses €10 billion.

“I don’t think painting a doomsday scenario is smart,” is her overall response.

“We are not going to impose austerity on people,” she also says.

When her opponents attack Sinn Féin for being over flaithiúil with its spending plans, she replies: “I am a sensible person and I live in the real world.”

All of the leaders are assertive, bordering on aggressive. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael clubbed together for that one.

Harris has perhaps the best line: “It is not the time to run the country on a national credit card.”

Debate has segued into funding of the disability sector

Charlotte Fallon’s argument was that those in Section 39 organisations that caters for those with disabilities and additional needs do not have parity with their equivalents who are working for the HSE.

Micheál Martin admits that not as much progress has been made as has been desired. He accepts it was a mistake to take therapists out of schools.

Mary Lou McDonald says it will give no comfort to parents she meets on the door.

So It Starts

And straight into it. Miriam O’Callaghan asks Simon Harris about the encounter in Kanturk with Charlotte Fallon but more specifically about an interaction between a member of Fine Gael staff and RTÉ before the clip was broadcast. It has been suggested that there was an effort to prevent it being broadcast.

Harris denies this.

“I had no knowledge of this whatsoever.”

Micheál Martin kind of forgives him.

Now they turn to Mary Lou McDonald and the review the party wants of the RTÉ coverage of Gaza.

She says that McDonald has not specified any particular aspect of the coverage that would warrant a review.

Again she says it is a peer review.

“Politics and politicians should not try to influence editorial decisions or to try and have clips taken down because they are inconvenient to them,” she says.

“There has to be distance, there has to be objectivity. But I would say to Miriam, I am struck by the very defensive reaction from some to this. The BBC, for example, had a peer review which looked at their coverage on migration.

“Politicians didn’t put their hands on it, and rightly so. I think, in a world where we have to rely on quality information, especially from the national broadcaster, which is in receipt of very substantial public funding, that has to be the gold standard of reliability. I think peer reviews like that are healthy.”

Micheál Martin says he is concerned about it and claims that Sinn Féin will commission a review.

Sarah McInerney asks did the 40 second clip expose Fine Gael’s failures on disabilities. Harris strikes a very reasonable and sincere tone and says it’s a very valid question.

“This is why I got involved in politics,” he says.

Can Simon Harris steady his ship following a shaky few days of electioneering?

Can Mary Lou McDonald capitalise on the “momentum” her party insists it has been building in the run-up to Friday’s vote?

Is there really only one adult in this room? And is it Micheál Martin?

For these, and other issues to watch out for in tonight’s leaders’ debate, Irish Times Political Editor Pat Leahy tees things up.

The Bigger Context

The debate takes place against a background of two very significant political events. The first is international, the second is domestic.

A ceasefire will be announced at 4am between Israel and Lebanon, with the IDF agreeing to withdraw behind the Israeli border. It comes after a year of attacks and an incredibly intense and bloody escalation by Israel which has resulted in over 3,000 deaths in the space of less than two months.

It’s a substantial breakthrough and let’s hope it can be maintained and will act as a prelude to a stop of Israel’s annihilation of Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed or maimed, and where an entire population has been displaced and cast aside with inhumane indifference.

The second is the death of Gemma Hussey at the age of 86. She was a Fine Gael minister, a skilled politician, and was in the vanguard of women politicians who fought tirelessly for parity and equality from the 1970s on, against granite resistance.

Five Things to Watch Out For

1. Body Language

Mary Lou McDonald will be in the middle of the three. Is this a good or bad position? It is likely that she will use hand gestures to point out to the two leaders on either side of them in an effort to portray them as one and the same – thus cementing the view that Sinn Féin is the only real alternative.

2. Topics

Immigration and Housing have both been the big issues during the year but not during this campaign. It’s the cost-of-living which is of concern to a third of all voters. All of the parties majored on this issue in their press conferences today, setting out what they will do to ease the burden on Irish families. The topics will be chosen by the two presenters and this will surely feature. But look for the ones that are being highlighted by the candidates. In an Insta Live earlier today, Simon Harris indicated that he would be talking about the prospect of economic shock. This could be partly attributable to a Fine Gael view that Sinn Féin has not provided sufficiently for a shock.

3. Tone

Simon Harris will have to be the most careful here. He has to be able to withstand the toe-to-toe stuff but because of the weekend events, he will need to also show humility and empathy. It’s going to be a tough balancing act. Mary Lou McDonald will be assertive but she will also need to temper that with a more statesmanlike disposition. Micheál Martin is probably under less pressure than the other two leaders but he has been wrong-footed in leaders debates before, so will have to be very careful to ensure that he is thinking on his feet, and that any attacks he has on Sinn Féin are proportionate and don’t seem petty. Likewise, Simon Harris might have a go at Fianna Fáil (it is after all opening a gap) but will have to be very careful how he couches it.

4. Achilles’ heel

The obvious one for Harris is the Charlotte Fallon incident and the aftermath, including was pressure exerted on RTÉ. For Sinn Féin, it’s the suggestion that RTÉ should be subject to a review over its coverage of Gaza. For Micheál Martin, if could be a harking back to his involvement in the government that was the root cause of the all the problems we encounter today in housing and the health services.

5. Messages

Mary Lou McDonald will try to say there is a pathway to Sinn Féin in government and will argue there is an alternative. Fine Gael might argue that Fianna Fáil should be trusted, but should not be trusted too much. Harris might refer to the possibility of a Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin coalition. Martin may try to say that his party will be best placed to solve justice and is expected to dismiss Sinn Féin as partners, claiming they are anti-enterprise and anti-Europe.

Speaking briefly on his way into the Prime Time studio, Taoiseach Simon Harris said that with the vote pending, many people are still undecided.

“Irish people rightly make you work hard for their vote; they rightly put politicians through their paces; and tonight I think they’ll want to hear from us,” he said listing off various issues of the day.

Tanaiste Micheál Martin spoke of the need to address serious challenges.

Mary Lou McDonald said she hoped people would elect a new kind of government. “In the last general election campaign we had, I think, five debates. So my only regret is that this is the only three-way head-to-head [among the main party leaders],” she said. “But that’s how the cookie has crumbled.”

The crumbling commences after the 9 o’clock news.

Our political correspondent Jennifer Bray has video from the three leaders arriving at RTÉ.

It’s not exactly the Toy Show but, still, there is a bit of excitement building out there ahead of tonight’s Prime Time election debate, which is now a little less than an hour away.

The live broadcast may feature more Halloween fireworks than festive good will, given the line up of Fine Gael’s Simon Harris, Fianna Fáil’s Micheál Martin, and Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald. And let’s remember, lest there be any (other kind of) debate – where each party leader stands on the studio floor had been carefully, randomly planned by the programme, by way of three pieces of paper pulled from a glass bowl.

“The debate promises in-depth discussion and rigorous questioning on the key issues shaping Ireland’s future, providing a platform for the prospective Taoiseach to share their vision with the electorate,” RTÉ has said.

Get the popcorn in.

Whoever, ends up in control of the country, politicians are going to hope for the good will of the unions.

But, as Emmet Malone reports, the leaders of the two main parties have been accused of “speaking out of both sides of their mouths” by unions representing S39 and other voluntary sector workers whose long-running pay dispute was highlighted by Charlotte Fallon’s encounter with Simon Harris over the weekend.

Representatives of Siptu, Fórsa, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation as well as the Irish Congress of Trade Unions met officials in Dublin on Tuesday from the government departments responsible for funding the hundreds of organisations providing essential homeless, health, disability and other services under contract.

The union side said afterwards they were told at the outset the officials were aware of the attention the exchange between Ms Fallon and the Taoiseach in Kanturk, Co Cork, had received but that their mandate with regard to the talks had not changed.

You can read Emmet’s full report here.

It’s worth another look at this TG4 / Ipsos B&A constituency poll for Kerry, published on Tuesday. Just look at those numbers for Michael Healy Rae, sticking it to anyone who ever doubted the lasting appeal of the Healy Rae dynasty (well, did anyone?). To adopt TG4′s language, Michael received a “whopping” 27 per cent of the vote and will be “amongst the highest vote getters in the State on Friday”. His brother Danny Healy-Rae comes in fifth on 10 per cent, but he will likely ride his brother’s coat tales back to the Dáil, in terms of transfers.

Jack White

Mary Lou McDonald and Paschal Donohoe are destined for safe returns to the Dáil in Dublin Central, according to independent candidate Clare Daly while Gerry Hutch has insisted his candidacy is genuine.

Speaking at a campaign event on Tuesday, the former MEP and TD criticised the outgoing opposition for not being “meaty enough”, while suggesting her chance to return to the Dáil remains wide-open.

Asked about Gerry Hutch’s bid for a seat in the same constituency, she said everyone has a right to put their name on the ballot paper, and “the people of the community will decide” who fills the four seats.

“Obviously, I hope they give one of them to me. I don’t think you have to be an astute political analyst to say that Mary Lou and Paschal Donohoe are certainly going to be safe, after that, who knows?”

Ms Daly said there is a “strong mood” on the doors that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have “had their day”, adding that “humble needs” are not being met.

“It would be great to think there’s a possibility of an alternative government outside of that, whether the numbers will be there or not, I don’t know,” she said, adding that the outgoing opposition has not been “meaty enough”.

“It’s been too quiet, too sedate and we need something a lot more substantial than what we’ve had,” she said.

Former independent TD Maureen O’Sullivan and former republican MP and civil rights campaigner Bernadette Devlin McAliskey both backed Ms Daly at the event.

Ms O’Sullivan recalled her working alongside former independent TD Tony Gregory since the 1970s, adding that the two were driven by the principles of equality, justice and fairness.

“They sound very idealistic, but we know the reality here on the ground of injustice, inequality and unfairness,” she said, adding that Mr Gregory’s voice is “missed” locally, before endorsing Ms Daly.

Michael Healy-Rae is on course to receive the highest vote in the country on Friday, a new TG4/Ipsos B&A poll for the Kerry constituency suggests, writes Jack White.

The independent is at 27 per cent in the poll, far exceeding the quota of 17 per cent and essentially guaranteeing the return of his brother, Danny Healy-Rae who is currently in fifth place at 10 per cent, through transfers.

Outgoing minister for education Norma Foley, who is polling second on 14 per cent, is likely to retain her seat through transfers from other Fianna Fáil candidates.

Fine Gael candidate Billy O’Shea who replaces the party’s outgoing TD Brendan Griffin, is also polling on 14 per cent, followed by Sinn Féin’s Pa Daly at 12 per cent.

The poll suggests a major drop for Mr Daly who received more than 20 per cent of first preference votes in 2020, though he is likely to retain his seat.

The poll which was carried out on November 22nd and 23rd had a sample of 521 and a margin of error of about four percentage points.

More from Jack White...

Meanwhile, Gerry Hutch has stressed that his general election bid is a “without a doubt” a genuine one, saying: “There’s no sense in running if you’re not going to be genuine and truthful.”

“The people have asked me to run, they’ve asked me to run over the years and lately, they pushed and pushed me and I’m running,” he said.

“If I get elected, I’ll do what I can,” he said.

The 61-year-old gangland figure is running as an independent against high profile candidates in the four-seater constituency of Dublin Central, including Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, Fine Gael’s Paschal Donohoe and former independent MEP Clare Daly.

Speaking to Newstalk’s Henry McKean on Sheriff Street while canvassing on Tuesday, Mr Hutch said, if elected, he will try to help the people of his constituency “as much as I can”.

“I’m coming out of semi-retirement to do this for the people, I could just chill out and not do it but they’re pushing me into it and I’m going to give it a try,” he said.

Asked if he wishes to move on from his past, Mr Hutch said: “That’s all yesterday’s news, you have to move forward, draw a line in the sand, and move forward and hopefully, If I’m elected, I’m going to be representing the people and that’ll be my job.”

Homelessness and affordable housing will be his priorities should he be elected, he said.

“People cannot get on the property ladder, we need affordable housing. Someone who’s starting to get on the property ladder has to be earning €120,000 a year, it’s disgraceful, it’s not for the people around here,” he said.

Asked if he had any regrets, he said: “Maybe I should have ran as a politician when I was 20.”

Labour leader Ivana Bacik and RTÉ’s David McCullagh are having a bit of a disagreement on whether the party’s manifesto is actually costed – “it is”, “it’s not” – Ms Bacik must be more worried about the valuable on-air time being swallowed up by it all.

On to more meatier things then – she says the focus of taxation must be on wealth, and not work, and that non-productive assets ought to be targeted. There is a brief nod to the “Spanish wealth tax model”. Who knows.

“We have made provision for the rainy day, for that safety net that’s there and that’s a hugely important thing,” she says in this frantic Six One News interview. “Because other parties have had black holes in their finances.”

Regarding the Land Development Agency, Ms Bacik says it offers a vehicle to build homes at scale – “We need to get the State back building again”, as it did in the 1960s – but the current model has failed to deliver.

“We believe that if we ramp it up, and we are proposing €6 billion from the Apple windfall tax, a seed capital to put into it, that…in three years’ time it will deliver 10,000 social and affordable homes.”

As to who Labour might go into power with, Ms Bacik, in her first election as leader, says her party will seek a common platform with smaller parties before considering any government formulation.

“We want to bargain from a position of collective strength.”

Straight out of an RTÉ radio studio and into a television one, Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman is hit with a tricky question, quickly – his party has only the third best manifesto when it comes to climate change?

Roderic must come out punching and he displays a command of the numbers – 6,000 completely free retrofits this year, for instance. He’s talking about the rollout of rural broadband and the expansion of the Local Link rural bus services, as previous achievements in government.

“We have delivered consistently on climate over the last four-and-a-half years,” he said. “That’s why Ireland now has its lowest climate emissions in 30 years; we saw a 7 per cent cut last year.”

He notes that some politicians might give out about carbon tax but they bake it into their financial spending plans.

Mr O’Gorman also defends his track record on looking after vulnerable children, saying has focused on funding frontline services that Tusla, the child and family agency, needs.

It’s difficult to know how excited people might be about a draw here - but safe to say RTÉ is gearing up for the big debate.

Even the international press has picked up on the “Simon Slump” – that is to say, the apparent damage caused by the Taoiseach’s interaction with care worker Charlotte Fallon.

According to the Guardian, “Harris’s testy handling of concerns raised by Charlotte Fallon in Kanturk, County Cork, last week has come to dominate recent days’ coverage.”

It’s not wrong. And for those UK readers, it’s hard to forget Labour leader Gordon Brown’s “Bigoted Woman” own-goal on the election trail all those years ago.

Seamus Dooley, the secretary of the Irish branch of the National Union of Journalists, has criticised Fine Gael over contact with RTÉ regarding the Charlotte Fallon clip, reports Jack Horgan Jones.

Speaking on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Dooley said that “parties should know better than to try and influence a story or to deflect from an incident”.

“Government Ministers and party officials should know not to cross the line and it would appear on this occasion there was an attempt, that that line has been crossed.”

He said that he didn’t believe the Taoiseach’s office had attempted to stop the broadcast but that it seemed to him that there had been “an attempt to take the harm out of the story”.

“I’m satisfied there was no attempt to censor the story but what there clearly was was an attempt to influence its presentation, and [what] I saw cross a line, that’s what I mean.

“I don’t think that RTÉ journalists needed Fine Gael to put a context on the exchanges, journalists are capable of contextualising exchanges between politicians and those who they meet on the canvas without that context being mediated by press officers.”

RTE’s Drivetime is having another one of its election constituency debates, this time in Dublin West with candidates Emer Currie (FG), Paul Donnelly (SF), Roderic O’Gorman (Green), and Dr Umar Al-Qadri (Ind).

Paul Donnelly is talking about moving toward a State-provided childcare system, but alongside a private one. It seems a popular move among his rivals too.

Roderic O’Gorman says childcare is still too expensive, even when you take into account his own reforms. “I haven’t [failed],” he says, “I have been able to significantly cut childcare costs.” But yes, it is still too expensive. He says a public model is the only way to target capacity shortfalls – a legal guarantee for all children to access two free years of preschool childcare.

As for Emer Currie, she doesn’t agree with Roderic’s claims of successful Green Party reforms, adding that Fine Gael, in fact, set up the national childcare scheme. “We are seeing the loss of smaller providers,” she says, adding that Fine Gael will reform core funding models. “In addition to that we are stepping in to public childcare.”

Dr Umar Al-Qadri agrees that childcare has become a second mortgage, inhibiting some couple from having two jobs.

Government propped up by ‘right-wing’ Independents a ‘recipe for chaos’, says Greens leader Roderic O’Gorman

A government propped up by Independent TDs could be a “recipe for absolute chaos”, according to Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman.

O’Gorman warned of the consequences of having what he described as “right-wing Independents” making up the government formation after Friday’s election.

He made the comments in Dublin on Tuesday, three days before the public go to the polls.

Support for Independent candidates has jumped in recent times, as indicated in opinion polls.

“I think government propped up by right-wing Independents, which if you look at the polls, and if you look at some of the music coming from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, seems to maybe be their priority. I think that would be a recipe for absolute chaos,” Mr O’Gorman said.

“We saw how government relying on Independents was consistently undermined, was consistently not able to deliver key decisions between 2016 and 2020.

“We have the evidence of a government supported by Independents, it doesn’t work. It doesn’t deliver. This Government has delivered. The Green Party has delivered.

“We’ve delivered our policies, but we delivered stability as well in really difficult times.”

O’Gorman repeated his party’s position that it is making a €10 billion investment in public transport a red line in any government formation talks.

He said that changes to emissions cannot be made unless there is major funding allocated to public transport.

“Any party that goes into negotiations, if they’re doing it in good faith, has to recognise there’s compromise,” he said.

“We’ve set out one clear red line, and that’s that 10 billion in public transport investments.

“We cannot make the change, we cannot make the cuts in our transport emissions, and we cannot give the Irish public the option of good public transport in Dublin, in cities across the country and in rural Ireland, if we aren’t prepared to allocate that funding.

“We’re saying €10 billion into public transport, that’s an absolute red line for the Green Party.” – PA

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, meanwhile, has described reports that Fine Gael contacted the State broadcaster about the video of Simon Harris’s encounter with Charlotte Fallon in Cork as “chilling”. – PA

Sinn Féin calls on Fine Gael to clarify communication with RTÉ

Asked about the controversy over Fine Gael representations to RTÉ over the Kanturk video, Pearse Doherty called on the party to clarify what was said and whether or not it was “leaning” on RTÉ to get the package aired.

He said it was a “bit rich” of Fine Gael to criticise Sinn Féin for wanting an inquiry into the broadcaster’s coverage of Gaza and then, days later, putting pressure on RTÉ. Fine Gael, he said, had a brass neck.

Separately, Doherty claimed the mood on the doorstep was very like that of 2020 and the party felt it had strong momentum. He and Eoin Ó Broin rejected claims by Fianna Fáil that it was not pro-enterprise.

The housing spokesman did say that the party was Euro-critical but said with good cause. He said the stance of the EU on the war in Gaza was a very good reason for Sinn Féin to be critical of the EU.

Most workers will be better off under Sinn Féin’s tax proposals, says Pearse Doherty

Sinn Féin has claimed that most workers in the State will be better off under a Sinn Féin government than it would under Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael, Harry McGee reports.

Senior party TDs Pearse Doherty, Louise O’Reilly and Eoin Ó Broin launched a document with its proposals to tackle the cost-of-living crisis if elected to government.

The issue is the dominant one of the campaign, according to the latest The Irish Times/Ipsos B&A opinion poll, which found that over 33 per cent of respondents regarded it as the most important challenge now facing the country.

Doherty, the party’s finance spokesman, said the party’s move to abolish USC for those earning under €45,000, and its wider tax package, would result in an additional €2,000 in money to working adults.

“This is a cost-of-living measure, and it’s going to benefit every single worker, and we’re ready to begin implementing that in our mini-budget,” he said.

“Most workers will be better off under Sinn Féin’s tax proposals. They will be better off under Sinn Féin than under Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil and that is a fact.”

He said the mini-budget in the first 100 days would also reverse fuel pump increases in October and result in savings of 12 cent per litre of diesel between now and 2030. The party has also pledged to stop further increases in the carbon tax.

Doherty also called on Minister for Finance Jack Chambers to explain how the party would raise the €1.57 billion in taxes included in its manifesto. He claimed Chambers was not being honest with the public.

Ó Broin said that Sinn Féin would deliver 30,000 affordable homes at prices from €250,000 between now and 2031.

O’Reilly said the party had committed to introducing free prescriptions for households by reducing the maximum monthly prescription costs under the DPS from 80 to zero. This will save families up to €960 per year.

Some 3,681,543 people are registered to vote on Friday, according to final electorate figures from The Electoral Commission.

Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern has been out on the campaign trail with Senator Mary Fitzpatrick, Fianna Fáil’s candidate in his old Dublin Central stamping grounds, writes Cormac McQuinn.

The pair have not always co-operated so closely on the ground in the hotly contested constituency.

Famously in 2007 Ahern’s political machine issued an eve-of-election instruction to constituents to transfer votes to his running-mate Cyprian Brady.

He was subsequently elected despite securing about half as many first-preferences as Fitzpatrick.

But there has been a rapprochement as Fitzpatrick seeks to win back a seat for Fianna Fáil in the constituency.

She said on Tuesday: “Bertie has been out campaigning for me. He’s been out canvassing around the north inner city and Drumcondra”.

She added: “I appreciate his support, and I appreciate the reaction we’re getting, with or without Bertie on the doorsteps.”

Fitzpatrick says she is getting a “very positive response” in a “really competitive” field.

She suggests Fine Gael’s Paschal Donohoe and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald but says “I’m certainly in the fight for one of the last two seats.”

Fitzpatrick says there were no homes built in the constituency for ten years and now there are 2,500 under construction or completed there after Fianna Fáil’s stint at the Department of Housing during the last Government.

So is all forgiven for 2007?

It was “a long time ago”, Fitzpatrick says adding: “My god, that’s almost 20 years ago”.

She said: “That’s the great thing about politics, it’s always changing. It’s always dynamic”.

Fitzpatrick is “really looking forward” to the last days of the campaign and said: “He’s [Ahern] promised to come out again, and many others have too.”

Fianna Fáil, meanwhile, will set out its “positive agenda for the future” should Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris have a dig at Tánaiste Micheál Martin’s party’s time in power during the last economic crash during tonight’s leaders debate on RTÉ.

That’s according to Fianna Fáil Minister for Finance Jack Chambers, Cormac McQuinn reports

During an Instagram live post on Tuesday morning Mr Harris set out three priorities for him in the debate – the cost-of-living, the need to invest in infrastructure like housing and talk about the “need to set aside money for an economic shock”.

He added: “It’s just 14 years this month since our political predecessors crashed the economy and the IMF had to come to town. We can never, ever forget that.”

So how will Martin respond if Harris hits out at Fianna Fáil over the economic crash during tonight’s debate?

At a press conference Chambers said: “This election is about the future and it’s about how we’re proposing to manage the economy and support investment and enterprise going forward.”

He said: “we’ve been very constructive in the approach we’ve taken in this election and indeed when we’ve worked within government.

“And you know, if people want to go over the past, that’s a matter for them.

“We’ll be setting out a positive agenda for the future, and that’s the context in which Micheál Martin will be debating this evening.”

Taoiseach Simon Harris has denied that contact made by the Fine Gael party with RTÉ was an attempt to influence how the broadcaster handled a video clip of his interaction with carer Charlotte Fallon.

Mr Harris told the Joe Finnegan show on Shannonside and Northern Sound radio stations that the media interest in the interaction had been an opportunity for him to expound on Fine Gael’s policy on carers and around disability services.

It had been “entirely appropriate” for the clip to be broadcast as it had been “a very important interaction on the campaign trail,” he said.

“I put my hands up and owned my mistake. But if anything good can come from this and I really hope it can, it is that thankfully now we are talking about issues in relation to carers and disability and for what it’s worth, these are the issues that brought me into politics, watching my own mother cry with frustration at the lack of services.”

Mr Harris said it was his understanding that Fine Gael had contacted RTÉ to offer a statement in relation to the incident and to offer further details.

“Which is exactly what would happen when RTÉ are covering any story or indeed Shannonside are covering any story, we’d obviously offer information, and that’s an entirely appropriate and normal thing to do in any sort of political media coverage,” he said. – Vivienne Clarke

Simon Harris responds on southeast Radio to claim Fine Gael intervened with RTÉ

The Taoiseach has been doing a round of local radio interviews ahead of tonight’s debate and to make up lost ground for the party in terms of support levels.

On southeast Radio, he was again asked did Fine Gael try to stop the broadcast of the clip of his exchange with disability worker Charlotte Fallon in Kanturk, Co Cork.

“I have no awareness of that,” he replied. “I do not believe so.”

It was not an unconditional “no”.

He said in the same interview that RTÉ was entirely editorially independent.

“There would be good engagement between all political parties and RTÉ and other broadcasters in terms of issues that have been covered.”

He said it was part of the normal back and forth.

He added: “I accept that it’s been a challenging number of weeks in relation to the campaign. I’m seven months in this job as Taoiseach, and people around the country have been very decent to me and willing to give me a chance ... I’m only really starting in this role, and there’s so much we can do together.”

More on interactions between RTÉ and Fine Gael

Jack Horgan-Jones writes

Fine Gael’s Paschal Donohoe has said any contact between his party and RTÉ over a the use of a controversial clip involving Simon Harris and a care worker in Kanturk was appropriate.

It comes after reports that Fine Gael had contacted RTÉ regarding how the clip would be framed.

Donohoe said any contact his party had with any broadcaster “I believe has been appropriate”.

He said any contact would be in line with what happens normally, and sought to redirect fire against Sinn Féin and its record with the media, including taking libel actions and a manifesto pledge to review RTÉ's coverage of the Gaza conflict.

“My party and I have never threatened to sue any journalist, we’ve never threatened to review the impartiality of any journalist or broadcaster,” he said, adding that exchanges happen between journalists, outlets and political parties all the time.

Donohoe has said the election matters economically “like no other in my lifetime”.

Donohoe, who is Minister for Public Expenditure, was speaking to reporters outside Microsoft’s offices in Dublin as his party seeks to refocus voters on the economy in the run-in to Friday’s vote.

“Economically, this election matters like no other in my lifetime,” he said. “We are seeing instability grow across the world, we are at a time of wars, we are at a time at which the consensus on trade and tax is changing,” he said.

He said investment in public services could only happen with safe public finances and in an economy that was stable.

“What kind of government do we want when the costs and risks of (economic) instability are growing?” he said.

Here is the full piece as published.

The truth behind Micheál Martin’s basketball moment

There was a photograph of Micheál Martin trying his luck at basketball at St Seton’s College. And now we have the video thanks to Evelyn O’Rourke of RTÉ. All we can say is that Irish captain Seán Flood (who was spectacular against Kosovo at the weekend by the way) can rest easy in his bed.

What did Fine Gael say to RTÉ ahead of the broadcaster running Kanturk clip?

There have been suggestions this morning that Fine Gael officials contacted RTÉ before it broadcast the exchange between Taoiseach Simon Harris and disability worker Charlotte Fallon in Kanturk, Co Cork last Friday.

Both sides have remained tight-lipped about what was said. That is not going to be the end of the matter.

Paschal Donohoe was asked about it at a Fine Gael event this morning and insisted that any interaction between Fine Gael and RTÉ was “entirely appropriate”.

“We have exchanges all the time,” he said.

Jack Horgan-Jones was there and sends us this X post. And Jennifer Bray is also following this and has also been posting on X.

Ivana Bacik seeks transfers from Greens and Social Democrats

Labour leader Ivana Bacik has asked voters to transfer between parties of the centre left such as her own, the Green Party and the Social Democrats.

In an interview with Claire Byrne on RTÉ's Today programme she said the parties were all “closely aligned” in terms of their views.

“People will transfer between us as indeed people transfer between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael,” she said.

When asked, Bacik said that no formal arrangement has been made with the other parties or no conversations have taken place in relation to any voting pact.

She repeated her stance that she will talk after the election to both the SocDems and the Greens with a view to forming a common platform of the left.

“I’m the party leader who has set out most clearly what I will do after the election, and that is to speak directly to the leaders of other parties and other groupings who share our vision, our values, who want to see that active State in place, that long term vision to build our country better together,” she said.”

“That’s what Labour is offering. There’s a clear appetite for that on the doors. People want to see change.”

Bacik would not disclose how many seats the party is targeting other than to assert it is on an upward curve, following last June’s local and European elections.

She set out its main policies lands that the party will not narrow the tax base, will pore €6 billion into a State housing company that can deliver 10,000 social and affordable homes in three years.

Simon Harris may bring up possibility of economic shock in tonight’s RTÉ debate

The Taoiseach is doing a round of local radio interviews this morning. But before that he was up on Instagram Live earlier setting out his approach to the debate.

He listed three priorities for him in the debate. The first was cost-of-living which is not a surprise as all the parties are leading on this – The Irish Times poll showed it was identified as the main issue by most people, one-third of all those polled.

The second point he raised was investing more in infrastructure, particularly in housing and water.

But it’s the third that is the most intriguing. Here’s what he had to say:

Why is so much emphasis being put on this?

Cleverly, it can form the basis of a two-pronged attack on Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil. Has Sinn Féin’s manifesto provided a sufficient rainy day fund in the event of such a shock? It also gives him an opportunity to remind viewers that it was a Fianna Fáil-led government that caused the first crash 16 years ago. He seems to be warning people against any possible combination of FF and SF.

He also addresses, tangentially, the famous Kanturk video. He personalises it by talking about his own family’s experience of disability and the impact that it had on them.

Light bedtime reading for Miriam O’Callaghan

Don’t even think the two RTÉ Prime Time presenters won’t be well briefed ahead of tonight’s Leaders’ Debate.

The Elephant makes its entry into 2024 Race

After last week’s double use of a pig by Fine Gael and Sinn Féin, Aontú has got into the act by introducing an elephant into the room.

Some residents of nursing homes have already voted

Marie O’Halloran and Enda O’Dowd visited the Maryfield Nursing Home in Dublin yesterday to talk to residents who have availed of the early voting process. It made for a fascinating piece.

Political Digest

This is today’s political digest. Our political team has been producing this early morning oeuvre every day since the campaign began, giving the inside track on what is happening and what is likely to happen. It is one of our premium services to subscribers to The Irish Times.

And if you want to complete your early morning binge, this is Pat Leahy’s excellent analysis on the latest poll findings and what tonight’s debate means.

The wrong kind of flood of support

This image of flooding in Co Cork has been doing the rounds over the past day, usually with a message on climate change. Like this example from the Green Party’s Dan Boyle. The poster is of Fianna Fáil TD Paidí O’Sullivan, who is a candidate in Cork North Central. Dan chooses the wording of his post delicately!

Debate day jitters and the strange introduction of a 2021 Irish Times article

A strange email from Fine Gael challenging Fianna Fáil’s Jim O’Callaghan to rule out Sinn Féin as a potential coalition partner – the email is from Barry Ward, the party’s candidate in Dún Laoghaire and asks how can the voters trust Micheál Martin on this issue when his own backbenchers may be putting out a different message?

Ward poses a series of questions:

“Is Jim still willing to facilitate a Sinn Féin government?” he asks.

“I am calling on him to firmly shut the door on propping up a Sinn Féin government and come clean on what his view on the party is.

“How can we take Michéal Martin’s word for it, if we do not know where the rest of his party stands on this?” he concludes.

The article references an article from The Irish Times. But when the link is opened, it’s from 2021, a year after the last election. It surveyed 20 TDs and 17 of them said they would be open to negotiations of some form with Sinn Féin.

So why is Fine Gael bringing up an article from more than three years ago?

The only conclusion is that the party strategists are nervous that Fianna Fáil may be taking an each-way bet in the closing days of the campaign and is not shutting out wholly the possibility of a coalition with Sinn Féin. Micheál Martin has been at pains to say that there are too many fundamental differences between the two parties. But what seems like ice can be very quickly demisted in light of an election result.

So it will be intriguing tonight to see who is marking whose card in what promises to be a dance macabre.

What are the parties doing today?

Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman will set out the party’s central goals for climate policy with Pippa Hackett and with Marc Ó Cathasaigh.

Labour’s transport spokesman Duncan Smith and Fingal West candidates and Rob O’Donoghue will be in Swords to set out plans to decarbonise the transport system.

For Fianna Fáil, Jack Chambers and Dublin Central candidate Mary Fitzpatrick will set out plans on cost-of-living measures and also proposals to prevent the economy from external shocks.

The SocDems will also be outlining cost-of-living measures with Gary Gannon, the other Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West), and Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown).

For Fine Gael, Paschal Donohoe and Peter Burke will be in Leopardstown to underline their policies on the importance of economic stability to attract foreign direct investment and drive future economic growth.

Moving Day for the general election

It’s Tuesday and there are three days left to polling. What happens in the next 15 hours could determine the outcome of Election 2024.

That is not an overstatement. The decisive moment of the event is likely to be tonight’s Prime Time debate involving three potential taoisigh. With Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin all within the margin of error of each other, a strong performance or a misstep could prove to be a fateful political moment.

In advance of the debate, the second day of The Irish Times/Ipsos B & A opinion poll has looked at how people view potential coalition combinations. A total of 43 per cent favour a pairing of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil in some form. A Sinn Féin-led government is backed by 21 per cent with a further 8 per cent in favour of a Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin combination.

Tonight’s debate will be co-hosted by Miriam O’Callaghan and Sarah McInerney. A few intriguing questions arise. Has Simon Harris drawn a line over the incident in Kanturk with care worker Charlotte Fallon? Can he arrest his party’s decline in support? Will Micheál Martin avoid getting bested by Mary Lou McDonald? Will the Sinn Féin leader be found wanting on specific detail and will its populist plan to hold an inquiry into RTÉ's coverage of the Gaza war come under scrutiny.