Politics

TV3 leaders’ debate: Will anyone mention the word ‘recovery’?

A well-worn cliche or 12 will likely be tossed out as gloves come off for election warm-up

Pat Kenny and Colette Fitzpatrick will host the first #ge16 leaders’ debate on Thursday night on TV3. Photograph: TV3
Pat Kenny and Colette Fitzpatrick will host the first #ge16 leaders’ debate on Thursday night on TV3. Photograph: TV3
Sarah Bardon
Thu Feb 11 2016 - 19:00

All eyes will be on TV3 tonight as the first leaders' debate of the general election campaign takes place.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny will go head-to-head with Tánaiste Joan Burton, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams and Fianna Fáil chief Micheál Martin for the first debate of the campaign.

Colette Fitzpatrick and Pat Kenny will host the programme, which airs at 9pm.

While we know serious issues will be discussed, we at Digest Towers would like to play a live “Debate bingo”.

READ SOME MORE

1: How many times will Enda Kenny say the word recovery? (We reckon 5,000 times)

2: How many times will the Tánaiste ask “Can I just say?” (Digest Towers can’t predict)

3: How many times will Micheál Martin say the words “fairness” and “fundamental”? (A reasonable few hundred times)

4: Will Gerry Adams go longer than a minute without mentioning 1916? (No)

5: Which party leader will go the longest without mentioning Fianna Fáil’s role in the crash? (Micheál doesn’t count here, you understand).

6: Who will be the first leader to mention the dreaded “f” term? (fiscal space)

7: Will Micheál Martin last longer than his initial 30-second speech without reminding us that this Government wants a coronation, not an election?

8: At what point will Joan Burton remind us that she voted against the bank guarantee?

9: Who has a plan? Enda has a plan. How many times will we hear about the plan?

10: Who will be the first leader to mention Gerry Adams’s past or his stance on the Special Criminal Court?

11: At what point will Alan Kelly race in and declare he is in fact the boss of the Labour Party?

12: While we are on that point, at what stage will Vincent Browne run in and grab the mic from Pat Kenny? We would just love to see the Taoiseach's response to that one.