General Election: Winners & losers from first televised debate

On Monday night, RTÉ Upfront hosted the first live televised debate of this General Election campaign. 10 party leaders took to the stage looking to make their pitch to voters, and somewhat predictably, chaos ensued.

But which party leaders best navigated this chaos? Today, Galway Pulse will be analysing each leader’s performance and giving them a mark out of 10. This will reflect on their ability to get their points across, as well as taking into account their target audience.

Joan Collins (Right To Change) – 3

Failed to make an impression. Collins agreed with People Before Profit’s Richard Boyd-Barrett on most issues but couldn’t convey the same level of emotion in her answers. This was especially true when it came to the question of the Occupied Territories Bill – to which she gave a straightforward ‘yes’ answer. Although her conciseness was in one way refreshing for tired viewers, she missed an opportunity to speak on a topic that many left-wing voters feel strongly about.

Cian O’Callaghan (Social Democrats) – 2

Perhaps the poorest performance of the night. The Social Democrats deputy leader failed to fill the boots of Holly Cairns, who was forced to miss the debate due to her pregnancy. O’Callaghan did not seem confident his delivery and failed to really scrutinise the Government where other left-leaning parties did. This resulted in a very passive debate performance in which viewers might’ve forgot O’Callaghan was there at all.

He didn’t rule out going into government with any party, instead emphasising certain ‘dealbreakers’ for the ‘Soc Dems’. However, forming a Government often involves making concessions on both sides, and it’s unclear whether his party will have the power to hold to those promises if they come to the table. Either way, the absence of Cairns from this debate certainly didn’t do them any favours.

Michael Collins (Independent Ireland) – 3

Another poor showing. Collins was outshone by Aontú’s Peadar Tóibín in many ways, despite sharing similar views on many issues. Where Tóibín took opportunities to interject and criticise the Government parties, Collins stayed silent. He didn’t make any major mistakes but was overly passive when a more aggressive approach might’ve resonated more with his target audience. This is particularly true for farmers, who he placed particular emphasis on throughout the debate.

Micheál Martin (Fianna Fáil) – 5

An average enough performance. He defended the Government’s response to many crises, including the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. On housing, host Katie Hannon cited promises from the last election of 50,000 affordable homes, of which less than 1000 have been delivered. Martin had little to say in response, and generally, he was outspoken on the issue.

The Fianna Fáil leader raised eyebrows with his comments on the Occupied Territories Bill, by saying that the Palestinian people are “very appreciative of the work that the Irish Government has done”. Mary Lou McDonald rebuked this comment by emphasising the suffering being endured in Gaza, and the Sinn Féin leader was probably right in her assessment that Palestinians aren’t pre-occupied with the work of the Irish Government.

The one issue that Martin came out strongly on was the cost of living and economy. He delivered a concise breakdown of his party’s plan to reduce energy prices and he was also confident in his defence of the Government’s budgets. Overall, an average showing from Martin in which he neither capitulated nor shone.

Simon Harris (Fine Gael) – 7

A decent night’s work for the outgoing Taoiseach. Harris spoke confidently throughout the debate, despite the many difficult issues that he was forced to address. One of those was regarding General Election candidate John McGahon and the controversy which has surrounded him in recent days. Harris addressed the issue in a concise manner whilst pointing out that he had been found not guilty in a criminal case.

The Fine Gael leader also made a strong rebuke of Mary Lou McDonald’s ‘100 years of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’ comments. Harris pointed out that the parties have been democratically elected throughout that time period, and that forced the Sinn Féin leader into silence. Many of his exchanges were with McDonald, and a war of words between the two often ensued.

His weakest moment was undoubtedly regarding the National Children’s Hospital, which he refused to take responsibility for before admitting to signing off on the project just a minute or two later. To Harris’s delight though, Micheál Martin took much of the blunt for the housing and cost of living crises.

His final pitch was probably the most impressive, as he put particular emphasis on the words ‘I’ and ‘you’ in order to personally appeal to voters. Whether this message will persuade voters remains to be seen, but Harris will be satisfied with his efforts on the night.

Roderic O’Gorman (Green Party) – 6

A pretty solid showing in his first leaders’ debate. O’Gorman successfully distanced himself from the other Government parties whilst also pointing out the Green Party’s successes in Government. Unsurprisingly, he put particular emphasis on public transport and climate change.

When it came to the tougher issues of housing and health, O’Gorman avoided criticism from the other parties, who instead targeted Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. This played into O’Gorman’s hands in many ways, as it allowed him to focus on what the Greens feel their strengths are.

His only real shaky moment was regarding the Green’s carbon tax policies, which were criticised by Peadar Tóibín and Michael Collins in particular. Despite coming under criticism, the Green Party leader defended the policy strongly and displayed an unwillingness to waiver to farmers or any other particular group. However, Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have all expressed their desire to reduce carbon tax, so it’s likely that the Greens will have to make concessions if they are to return to Government.

Peadar Tóibín (Aontú) – 8

Probably the best performance of the night. Despite not enjoying the same airtime as the likes of Harris and McDonald, Tóibín used his time wisely to convey his party’s views. He made his presence known from the start with strong interjections on the National Children’s Hospital and the housing crisis.

He spoke strongly on the issue of carbon tax, and may receive some plaudits from the farming community as a result. The Aontú leader was also the most critical of the Government’s immigration policy, which is a source of dissatisfaction among many voters.

In terms of a weak point, Tóibín ruled out going into Government with Fine Gael and the Green Party, before calling Fianna Fáil “an empty hollow husk in terms of ideology.” However, he failed to rule out going into government with them. He was also unclear on whether Aontú would go into Government with Sinn Féin, saying, “we don’t know what they stand for.” Further clarity could help to attract more voters in the coming week.

Ivana Bacik (Labour) – 4

A poor showing from the Labour leader. Like with Joan Collins, Bacik was overshadowed by the man to her left on many issues, Richard Boyd Barrett. Although she was probably a bit more involved in the debate than Cian O’Callaghan of the Social Democrats, she still failed to stand out among the parties of the left.

Bacik didn’t overly criticise Government policies when there were opportunities to do so, and perhaps this reflects the possibility that she could yet end up in government with them. Her final pitch referred to the “chance of a lifetime to transform Ireland.” Overall, she produced a performance of little to no headlines.

Richard Boyd-Barrett (PBP-Solidarity) – 8

A strong performance throughout the debate. He very rarely interjected when others were speaking but yet had ample time to criticise the Government parties and get his points across. As already mentioned, he outshone the other parties of the left on many issues. Above all else, he spoke from the heart and even his final pitch appeared to be the only one that was unscripted. He also spoke strongly on the issue of the Occupied Territories Bill, and his party’s strong stance on Palestine could resonate with a lot of voters.

Mary Lou McDonald (Sinn Féin) – 7

A good night’s work for the Sinn Féin leader, but perhaps a missed opportunity for something more. McDonald has always been a strong speaker and she spoke confidently on the need for a change of Government. However, her party’s failure to publish their manifesto before the debate gave Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael easy ammunition.

McDonald addressed the cost of living crisis well and was strong in her criticism of the Government’s housing policies. She often found herself in a two versus one situation with Harris and Martin, but she defended her party with confidence throughout.

However, there may have been more opportunities for her to interject and put the Government parties under pressure. Her early attack on Harris for his “lack of compassion” was dealt with well by the outgoing Taoiseach, and she didn’t go down the personal route thereafter.

Her stance on the Occupied Territories Bill was a point of strength though, and her calls for sanctions on Israel forced the Government parties into retreat. Overall, it was a steady performance from McDonald that will please Sinn Féin voters.