What did we learn from the election debate?

“Fair play to anyone who stayed up after two hours of that,” quipped Richard Boyd Barrett leaving RTÉ last night.
The People Before Profit (PBP) parliamentary leader had a point – the 10 leader debate was always going to be a bit gruelling, for viewers as well as participants. However, given the circumstances, it could have been a lot worse – even if most of those who stuck with it were falling over the finishing line, relieved and exhausted rather than exultant. The potential chaos was kept to a minimum by host Katie Hannon, who did a very fine job at keeping everybody in line – although doubtlessly, there will be criticisms of time and question allocation.
So, what do we know that we didn’t before? Firstly, the clear lesson is that in such a melee, the odds favour those who are already strong, with the big three dominated exchanges and the rest of the party leaders sometimes struggling for oxygen. Peadar Tóibín, by common consensus, was the exception to this rule. He specialises in simple answers to complex questions, positioning himself as a common-sense alternative to insider elites – this played to his strengths. Richard Boyd Barrett, Ivana Bacik and Michael Collins kept plugging away, but unusually for a leader of a Government party, Roderic O’Gorman faded from view for periods, while ultimately the Social Democrats missed Holly Cairns as large parts of the evening passed her deputy Cian O’Callaghan by – similarly Joan Collins.
The debate was maybe at its most energetic when dwelling on cost-of-living/economy/future risks (although that was a close-run thing by Palestine), with Sinn Féin trading barbs with the two large parties of Government. All sides had plenty of punches landed in these exchanges, but it’s hard to figure out whether the placement of Micheál Martin and Simon Harris next to each other was a blessing or a curse to the two men. The evening, coming as it did after days of sniping, was notable for the total absence of swipes between the pair, perhaps a signal that the wider detenté sought by Martin last week is in place. However, the pair of them nodding or shaking their head in unison at points – or glaring at Mary Lou McDonald – will harden perceptions where they already exist that they are two sides of the same coin.
Leaders may sense that this is beginning to feel like it will be a pocketbook election where the main single issue is housing – even high-profile topics like immigration were surprisingly subdued, not helped by coming late in proceedings (there is a dedicated debate on this next week, in fairness). Ten days to go, the ten leader debate is now in the background – but the pressure is only growing.
Jennifer Bray was in Montrose for the fire and fury. Read her on-the-whistle analysis of five key moments here.
The rolling controversy of yesterday’s coverage was undoubtedly the John McGahon story, which we carry on our front page today:
The story dominated the doorstep interviews with leaders going into RTÉ, and was among the first issues broached by Hannon – perhaps doing us a favour by ripping off the Band-Aid rather than letting it punctuate the night over and again. The Louth-based Senator remains on the ticket, and it is clear that Fine Gael’s current assessment is that to lose him would be more damaging than to keep him. That said, the party’s loyalty to him has been dutiful rather than wholly convincing, and that calculus may change if Fine Gaelers have to keep batting away the issue. McGahon will surely have to break his silence at some point, especially if the political temperature doesn’t drop. How he handles that may be a key moment, campaign-wise and career-wise.
The big event of the day is Sinn Féin’s manifesto launch, with Mary Lou McDonald taking centre stage at Smock Alley Theatre alongside Pearse Doherty, Eoin Ó Broin, David Cullinane, and Claire Kerrane. That’s at 11am.
The Social Democrats will also launch their election manifesto at the Royal Institutute of Architects on Merrion Square, that’s at 11am too.
The Royal Irish Academy is playing host to climate hustings at 9.30am
The Greens are launching their warmer homes policy at a briefing in a retrofitted home in Walkinstown at 10.30am. Roderic O’Gorman, Patrick Costello and Cllr Ray Cunningham will be in the house.
Fine Gael is to outline its healthcare and disability plans in Dublin 2 at 11am.
Norma Foley is setting out Fianna Fáil’s plans for the education sector at Harcourt Terrace Educate Together national school. That’s at 11.15am.
Labour is launching its climate action and just transition policy – Ivana Bacik alongside election candidates Sadhbh O’Neill (Waterford) and Shane Folan (Dublin Bay North). That’s at midday.
At 12.50pm, Richard Boyd Barrett and Dublin North West candidate for PBP Conor Reddy will visit teachers protesting against leaving cert reform plans at St Kevin’s College in Dublin 11.
Yesterday we carried the charge that Fine Gael’s election commitments were like a “McCreevy/Cowen tribute act,” made by Labour’s Ged Nash. Mark Hilliard runs the rule over whether this is the case.
Harry McGee’s backgrounder on the McGahon controversy.
Fintan O’Toole argues that the election campaign seems dull because there is so much transparent dishonesty at play:
The old perennial question is batted about in the opinion pages: is it time to ban election posters?
Away from the campaign trail, the big sporting story of the day is the shock announcement that Dublin’s Brian Fenton is retiring.
Monday’s daily podcast is here.
What the papers say
The Indo have focused on the aftermath of the Dublin riots and a plan to publish pictures in an effort to identify rioters.
The Examiner reports that Fine Gael has pledged to set up a taskforce to tackle crime and security issues in Cork City within its first 100 days in office, if returned.
The Daily Mail carries a warning from employers over the four day week proposed yesterday by the Green Party.
The Star, Mirror and sun focus on Gerry Hutch.
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