Last Leaders Debate Before Irish Election

Watched on RTE via computer last night the last party leaders debate before the Feb. 25 election in Ireland.

Enda Kenny (Fine Gael), Michael Martin (Fianna Fail) and Eamon Gilmore (Labour) each put his case before the Irish people in the bid to become Taoiseach.

After opening statements, RTE's moderator, Miriam O'Callahan, began the questions.

Kenny, who leads in the polls, insisted that the IMF deal must be renegotiated. "We still don't know the full scope of the stress test on the banks," he said, and won't until the end of March. It could turn out that Irish taxpayers will be due for 100 billion euros in debt from the banks, he warned. Kenny called the situation a "penal taxation level."

Gilmore, whose party may go into coalition with Fine Gael, said, "The choice on Friday will determine the future of the country for the next 20 years." He promised that under Labour, "no family will lose their home" and those with incomes under 100,000 will have no new taxes. Gilmore called the current Irish economic situation "the biggest mess that anyone has ever faced." He offered Labour's program of "three pillars" of jobs, reform of the political system and "fairness."

Gilmore also called for renegotiation of the IMF deal, "a straitjacket on future governments."

Martin was left to defend his Fianna Fail party and to cast suspicion on Fine Gael's "five-point program." "It doesn't add up," Martin said of Kenny's plan to cut government spending by 6.5 billion euros. Kenny is "codding the people by saying there will be 6.5 billion savings, but gives no detail."

As for the IMF deal, Martin said, "Anyone who says they can unilaterally re-negotiate is not honest."

Martin defended Fianna Fail's actions by saying that if the bank guarantees had not been made, "it would have been catastrophic to the banking system."

Kenny countered by saying that if he is elected he will "close down Anglo and Irish Nationwide before the end of the year and sell AIB." He said, "We have enough banks as it is." As things stand, small businesses cannot get "a penny from banks in credit," he said. "It is absolutely critical. We are going nowhere unless we can extend credit to small business."

'We must get the two main banks up and running," Martin said. "AIB and Bank of Ireland have to survive."

In an email to a friend in Cork yesterday, I wished that the best man would win. She replied, "We are all still trying to figure out who is the best man to win the election on Friday -- they are all equally good at spin and ineffective at managing our lovely country."