Leaders of Ireland’s main parties clash in final debate

The leaders of Ireland’s three main political parties clashed on housing, healthcare and financial management in their final televised debate before the general election.

The tetchy debate, which was marked by several interruptions, featured Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris, and Ireland’s deputy premier and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin.

The parties set out their stalls in a broadcast that commentators said did little to move the dial before polling day on November 29, which is likely to set the scene of Irish politics for the next five years.

The latest opinion poll put the parties in a tight grouping with Fianna Fail slightly ahead of Sinn Fein, and Fine Gael in a close third after a significant slide in a campaign marked with several hiccups for that party.

Ms McDonald took aim at current coalition partners Mr Martin and Mr Harris for their respective parties’ roles in handling the financial crash and its aftermath.

In the more than 90-minute debate on Irish national broadcaster RTE, Ms McDonald said the financial crash was instigated and driven by Fianna Fail, while austerity was brought by Fine Gael.

Echoing words spoken earlier in the debate by Mr Harris, she said: “There are people watching this programme who still bear the scars of your crash and of your austerity.”

He had said that lessons had to be learned from the financial crash, adding that Fine Gael had “never crashed the economy” and was now proposing the least amount of spending when compared to the other two parties.

Mr Martin said he “learned from” his time in Government during the financial crash.

Ms McDonald retorted: “I know you did, sure you authored it.”

Mr Martin said he kept with public service and would always put the country before his party.

He also said Sinn Fein’s “enormous” tax increases would destroy Ireland’s enterprise economy.

The exchanges came amid the backdrop of the US presidential election, with compounding anxieties that the next administration’s proposals around corporation tax and tariffs would significantly impact Ireland.

Mr Harris warned that “the risk of a trade shock is real” while Ms McDonald argued it was not smart to “paint up a doomsday scenario” around US President-elect Donald Trump’s next term.

During the debate, the leaders of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael again ruled out entering into a coalition with Sinn Fein after the election.

Ms McDonald said “Tweedledum and Tweedledee” seemed to believe they were the only ones who should really be in Government.

Asked why the public should believe Mr Martin’s pledge on Sinn Fein having previously u-turned on ruling out a coalition with Fine Gael, he said there are “fundamental differences” between his party and Ms McDonald’s.

Speaking to reporters after the broadcast, he said such a question was a “scare tactic” to “frighten the middle ground”.

Elsewhere, Mr Martin said Fianna Fail had taken “radical action” while holding the housing portfolio.

It came after Ireland’s Housing Commission called for a radical reset in housing policy.

Mr Harris argued that housing is the “number one priority”, as he sought to contextualise comments from a former Fine Gael housing minister, Eoghan Murphy, who has said the party had not made the policy area its focus. Mr Harris said Mr Murphy was referring to an era dominated by concerns over Brexit.

Ms McDonald said the Government parties do not recognise the “scale of the problem” in Ireland’s housing deficit – and accused Mr Martin of “crucifying” first-time buyers.

However, she was unable to give a guarantee that banks would back one of her party’s key proposals in the sector.

Pressed on whether banks would definitely lend to home buyers under a Sinn Fein scheme where people would not own the land under the house, Ms McDonald said: “We’ve engaged with the banks. The banks have requirements that will have to be met.”

She added: “At no stage has the banking Federation said that ‘we will not lend into a scheme of this nature’.”

Elsewhere, Ms McDonald said the two coalition leaders should feel “very ashamed” over the Government’s record on carers and disability.

Mr Martin and Mr Harris defended their policies while setting out plans for increased investment in the sector.

On healthcare, the Fianna Fail leader insisted that emergency departments are safe after investment to tackle overcrowding.

His remarks come after the death of teenager Aoife Johnston at University Hospital Limerick (UHL).

Aoife, 16, died at UHL in 2022 after waiting for 12 hours to be assessed for suspected sepsis. The health portfolio is currently held by Fianna Fail minister Stephen Donnelly.

Asked if her death was a “terrible indictment of Government”, Mr Martin – a former health minister – said: “It’s a terrible indictment of the hospital and what happened there, and the need for reform, and change in governance in the hospital.”

Also a former health minister, Mr Harris made a pledge in 2017 that waiting lists would be reduced for child scoliosis surgeries to four months – which has not come to pass.

He said Fine Gael made a “clear commitment” to fix waiting lists for child scoliosis “once and for all”.

Ms McDonald was asked about long waiting lists for healthcare services in Northern Ireland, where Sinn Fein is in Government.

Ms McDonald said the “British Treasury is not minded to fund the place correctly”, but added that there had been a huge emphasis on the healthcare allocation by the Executive.

She further accused the coalition parties of allocating a “derisory” amount towards mental health.

It came after Mr Harris accused Ms McDonald of “laughing and sniggering” during the debate on such services.

Ms McDonald denied this and said: “I am aghast at the brass iron neck you’re demonstrating.”

Mr Harris said there needs to be a “holistic approach”, multi-year funding and reform in mental health services.

In the election, Ireland will choose more members of parliament, known as TDs, than ever before.

It comes after a recommendation to increase the number of TDs from 160 to 174 to account for a boom in the population. The number of constituencies has increased from 39 to 43.

After polling day, the protracted process of counting ballots by hand will begin. As Ireland uses a system of proportional representation, the voting slips need to be counted several times – an undertaking which can last for days.