The first televised leaders' debate of the General Election campaign takes place on RTÉ television tonight.
Ten party leaders will take part in the debate making it the largest-ever leaders' debate to take place on Irish television.
The debate will be on the Upfront with Katie Hannon programme which airs at 9.35pm on RTÉ One and on the RTÉ Player.
The number of parties represented is a reflection of a more fragmented political landscape.
There are 29 political parties on the Register of Political Parties published by An Coimisiún Toghcháin.
RTÉ has said that the decision about who was invited to take part in tonight's debate was taken based on who qualified under criteria agreed by its Election Steering Group.
That group is chaired by RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst and includes senior editors and managers from across the organisation.
Details of the criteria agreed by that group for who to invite on leaders’ debates were published earlier this month by RTÉ in a document which details how it is approaching its coverage of the General Election which is available read in full here.
In relation to leaders’ debates this what it states:
It is not practical or feasible to include every party contesting the election in a party leaders’ debate.
RTÉ will host 2 separate party leader debates - one featuring the 10 parties with Dáil representation; a second and final debate featuring three party leaders (Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin).
In keeping with past decisions of the courts and the broadcasting regulator, the RTÉ Election Steering Group has determined the following criteria for party leaders’ debates:
Criteria: Ten Party Leaders / Upfront With Katie Hannon
RTÉ has previously set out criteria for the offering of Party Political Broadcasts (now referred to as "Party Political Programmes" in legislation) for the General Election.
The same criteria will apply to this debate:
- A party must be on the Register of Political Parties
- Any party which achieved 2% or more of the First Preference Vote in the last General Election and/or
- Has at least 1 TD elected in the outgoing Dáil.
There are currently 10 parties on the Register of Political Parties who have Dáil representation and who fulfil the criteria above.
As Dáil representation reflects a level of public support each of the ten parties are invited to participate on the following basis:
A: The party leader is nominated to represent the party.
B: If a party has a collective or shared leadership, the party will nominate a sitting TD, who is contesting the General Election, to represent the party in the debate.
C: Notwithstanding the above, a party cannot have two representatives in the same debate.
The ten leaders will be standing at lecterns for tonight’s two-hour debate.
The order in which they stand was decided by a draw earlier today which was recorded and posted on social media with Katie Hannon picking the names from a bowl.
The result was as follows: Joan Collins (Right to Change), Cian O’Callaghan (Social Democrats), Michael Collins (Independent Ireland), Micheál Martin (Fianna Fáil), Simon Harris (Fine Gael), Roderic O’Gorman (Green Party), Peadar Tóibín (Aontú), Ivana Bacik (Labour), Richard Boyd Barrett (People Before Profit-Solidarity), Mary Lou McDonald (Sinn Féin).
The party leaders’ debate on Upfront with Katie Hannon will be live at 9.35pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
A special episode of RTÉ's election podcast Behind the Ballot, will record tonight backstage after the TV debate and will be available after midnight on the RTÉ Radio Player or wherever you get your podcasts.
