Fianna Fáil has taken issue with proposals for political debates put forward by some broadcasters for the forthcoming general election campaign.
The party is pushing for a contest between its leader Michéal Martin and Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who Fianna Fáil claim is effectively following the lead of British prime minister David Cameron by refusing to engage in one-on-one contests.
Fianna Fáil now wants the Oireachtas communications committee to discuss the format debates should take.
RTÉ has proposed two televised debates to political parties. One is a four way with Mr Kenny, Mr Martin, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams and Tánaiste Joan Burton for the Labour Party.
The other is a seven way debate that would also include the leader of Renua Ireland, Lucinda Creighton, as well as representatives of the Anti-Austerity Alliance-People Before Profit alliance and the Social Democrats.
TV3 is understood to have proposed a head to head between Mr Martin and Mr Kenny and requests are also in from a number of other media outlets.
During last year's British election, Mr Cameron declined to take part in a head to head debate with Ed Miliband, who was then leader of the Labour Party.
Michael Moynihan, who is his Fianna Fáil's communications spokesman, as well as the chair of its national constituencies committee, is to write to Fine Gael TD John O'Mahony, chair of the Oireachtas communications committee, outlining his concerns.
‘Meaningful debates’
Mr Moynihan said “it is crucially important that the public sector broadcaster and other broadcasters facilitate meaningful debates” but said the “debates process has traditionally been left exclusively in the hands of individual broadcasters”.
He claimed this approach was shown to be limited by the famous ‘Frontline’ presidential election debate in 2011 .
“With this in mind I am writing to request that the committee invite all Irish broadcasters before the committee so that there can be a discussion on how they propose to deal with debates during the election campaigns, including how they propose to ensure robust exchange between the leaders of the political parties.”
He said the UK experience is one that can be learned from, adding: “The refusal of the sitting British prime minister to engage in head to head debate and his insistence on a format where the opportunity for proper scrutiny was minimised has obvious resonances here.”
A spokesman for Fine Gael said: “We have received a number of requests from media outlets for debates and interviews in relation to the forthcoming election and we will be responding in due course.”
