“Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam.”
The party leaders’ debate as Gaeilge on state broadcaster TG4 has been called off because two party leaders don’t have sufficient fluency to participate.
It was confirmed this morning that the debate was cancelled as Joan Burton of Labour and Gerry Adams of Sinn Féin have weaker spoken Irish.
However, both parties suggested fluent speakers to chair their party’s position in the debate – with Labour opting to nominate Minister of State Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, and Sinn Féin offering Pearse Dohery (a native speaker from the Donegal Gaeltacht) for the political meeting.
However, according to the Irish Times, Fianna Fáil rejected the proposal, arguing that a leaders’ debate should be confined to leaders alone. Fine Gael claimed they are happy to partake in a four-way or seven-way debate, but these plans have since been dismissed.
TG4 will now conduct one-on-one interviews with Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Fianna Fáil’s Micheál Martin, before hosting two separate interviews with Mr Ó Ríordáin and Mr Doherty.
