It’s the halfway point in the general election campaign with all parties busy outlining their policy positions if elected to power on November 29th. Brace yourselves for the first televised leaders’ debate of the general election at 9.30pm tonight on RTÉ. Simon Harris, Micheál Martin and Mary Lou McDonald will be joined by Labour leader Ivana Bacik, Richard Boyd-Barrett of People Before Profit, Green leader Roderic O’Gorman, Michael Collins of Independent Ireland, Cian O’Callaghan of the Social Democrats (subbing for Holly Cairns) Peadar Toibín of Aontú and Joan Collins of Right to Change.
Fianna Fáil’s Fingal-East candidate Fianna Fail’s Darragh O’Brien and candidate for Dublin-Central, Mary Fitzpatrick, are outlining concerns in relation to a €6.1 billion deficit in the Sinn Féin alternative housing plan, Sinn Féin spokesperson on finance, Pearse Doherty, and outgoing Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Mairéad Farrell, are outlining Sinn Féin’s plan for the public purse.
Meanwhile, Micheál Martin was asked about the John McGahon controversy on a podcast hosted by Newstalk’s Seán Defoe. He said: “I think there is a big problem there, if I’m honest,” going on to describe the injuries as “shocking” and the nature of the incident as “very aggressive”.
Holly Cairns - who is due to give birth to her first child in a matter of days - will not be taking part in tonight’s leaders’ debate for reasons that don’t really need explaining. A SocDems spokeswoman said: “Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns is due to give birth in a matter of days, and is unable to travel to Dublin from her home in Cork South West, so Deputy Leader Cian O’Callaghan is standing in this evening.”
Hot takes ahead of debate - today’s analysis from The Irish Times
Read up on the best of today’s paper and online:
- Today’s lead story
- Our early morning mailout
- Miriam Lord on the campaign trail
- Analysis by political editor Pat Leahy
- Yet more analysis by Pat...
- The voters’ view from the Meath Gaeltacht
- And what football fans have to say
The Green Party is out later on talking about its work/life balance event. The most eye-catching element here is a four-day work week. Sadly, on closer inspection, what they’re proposing is a Citizens Assembly on the issue - so often the graveyard of the catchy political aspiration.
The weather forecast, as Brian Kerr might say, is malojin. Wrap up, canvassers - and remember people are trying to keep the heat in when you’re on the doors.
Labour is today criticisng Fine Gael’s ‘Acorn’ policy, announced over the weekend, which would see €1,000 put in a savings account for every child born in Ireland. In a release, the party’s health spokesman Duncan Smith says: “Another 4,500 are trapped in homelessness and need a home, so I’d ask Fine Gael what address should they put on their new bank account?”
Micheál Martin was also asked about the John McGahon controversy on a podcast hosted by Newstalk’s Seán Defoe. He said: “I think there is a big problem there, if I’m honest,” going on to describe the injuries as “shocking” and the nature of the incident as “very aggressive”.
“I think there are issues there, if I’m honest,” he says, but stops short of saying the Senator should be deselected, saying it is a matter for Fine Gael.
“It clearly wasn’t a scuffle,” he says - ‘scuffle’ being the word Simon Harris used to describe it after the conclusion of the civil case which saw McGahon landed with €39,000 in damages.
Listen to Seán’s full podcast here
Fianna Fáil leader Martin on John McGahon, Sinn Féin and his party’s credibility
Micheál Martin has done a very extensive interview on the Claire Byrne show on RTÉ Radio 1 this morning.
Mr Martin is asked about the Sunday Times’s John McGahon story, and he indicates he would work with the Louth based senator if elected but adds that he doesn’t think Fianna Fáil would put someone forward for election in those circumstances. He says a video of the incident is “quite shocking” and that he was “somewhat surprised” that Simon Harris is backing McGahon after it emerged.
Mr McGahon was found not guilty after a criminal assauly trial but afterwards faced a civil action taken by Breen White, the other party involved in the incident. Mr White was awarded €39,000 after he sued the Louth Fine Gael candidate for assault and battery.
Mr McGahon comes from a storied Louth Fine Gael family. His father was a councillor in Dundalk and his uncle, Brendan McGahon, was a TD for the constituency for twenty years. He was successfully elected to Louth County Council in 2014 and 2019, but failed to secure a Dáil seat in 2020. He has been strongly tipped to retain the seat in the county being vacated by retiring TD Fergus O’Dowd.
[ Fine Gael stands by Senator after assault victim questions election candidacyOpens in new window ]
Asked what he would do in the circumstances, Martin says: “I don’t think he would have been a candidate.”
“There is a victim here… striking to the head is very, very dangerous. Thankfully here it didn’t lead to worse consequences, but it could have.”
Some other key points he was asked about include:
On spending promises, he says he would maintain spending on housing no matter what - but if there was an economic shock, other things currently promised in the manifesto would be up for debate.
Martin says “the biggest threat to us is external”, rejecting Byrne’s assertion that we are planning spending like we were an OPEC ( Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) country in the 1970s.
Economic credibility is a big thread to this interview, with Martin emphasising that Michael McGrath was the finance minister who legislated to put money aside for a rainy day - pivoting to attack Sinn Féin when questioned on the matter, who he says will spend the surplus.
Invited to take a pop at Simon Harris’ so-called “Acorn Fund”, he says he is not “overly exercised by it”, but indicates the capacity for better-off families to add to the pile does raise equality issues. He says funding it cannot get in the way of Fianna Fáil priorities like investing in childcare and the pupil-teacher ratio. “It’s not something we’d die in a ditch on”.
Asked about the constant crossfire between government parties, Martin disowns Willie O’Dea’s suggestion Helen McEntee is the worst ever justice minister, emphasising that it’s the Limerick City TD’s view only. “What went on last week I had no time for,” he said of the scrapping, but argues that there are legitimate policy differences that should be debated in a respectful way. However, he says “crime is an issue,” adding that people do not feel as safe now in cities and towns.
Pushed on whether the bickering between Fianna Fáil and FIne Gael could backfire come polling day, he says that the fundamental divide in the Dáil is on the economic model, characterising Sinn Féin and the far left as diverging from the rest of the parties. Martin argues that centrist parties can have policy differences, but that there is a “strong centre” to Irish politics.
Is Fianna Fáil “cosying up” to Labour and the Independents with an eye on government formation, Martin is asked? He says he is “slow to be cosying up to anyone” and wants to maximise the FF vote. And again, he pivots to attack Sinn Féin, which he says would delay and damage progress on housing and risk the economic model of the State. The strategy here ain’t subtle.
“Can we talk about Fianna Fáil, and not Sinn Féin?” says Claire.
Martin is defending the Help to Buy scheme, rejecting the idea it is inflationary, and arguing it has been an enormous assistance to first time buyers. Shockingly, he ends up criticising the left and the “main opposition party” saying their policies would scare off investment into Irish housing.
He goes on to warn that if the opposition get their way, planning will be slower and houses more expensive.
He says there “will be a tug of war, mark my words” when the Children’s Hospital comes on stream over resourcing between the Department of Health and Department of Public Expenditure, and says that Fianna Fáil will back appropriate staffing levels.
He says that Fianna Fáil has pursued Sláintecare goals - pointing to the “radical” legacy of Stephen Donnelly on women’s health - despite the fact that the ten year reform plan for the health services is not mentioned once in the party’s manifesto.
Martin says he won’t commit to a 50:50 gender split in Cabinet.
On the subject of that mammoth leaders’ debate, the person to feel sorry for is Katie Hannon, the Upfront presenter whose job it is to host this circus. “I’m looking forward to moderating the biggest ever television leaders debate on Monday night,” she said in a statement issued by RTÉ. We admire her enthusiasm, although we must say we’re skeptical about it. “We’ll be asking the questions that people want answered on their polices and promises and ensuring that voters know where every party stands on the key issues before they head to the polls on 29th November.” What a treat in store for the viewers.
Good morning all. Jack Horgan-Jones from the Irish Times political staff here, steering the live story through the first part of the day. As mentioned already, we have the big RTÉ leaders’ debate to look forward to this evening, and a slate of electioneering to get through first. As for me, I’ve never done one of these live story things before, so be gentle. Es mi dia primero.
