Dublin: What you need to know ahead of tonight’s debate

Tell me about the Dublin constituency? 

Unlike the other two European constituencies which sprawl across multiple counties, from the East to West coast, the Dublin constituency is self-contained in county – comprising Dublin city, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin.

According to the last Census, the population of Dublin grew by 8% to 1,458,154 between April 2016 and April 2022.

How many seats are in Dublin? 

Dublin increased from a 3-seat to a four constituency in 2019 and it remains unchanged as a four-seater for this election.

 Who are the outgoing MEPs? 

Ciarán Cuffe (Green Party), Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael) Clare Daly (Independents 4 Change), and Barry Andrews (Fianna Fáil). 

Fine Gael’s Frances Fitzgerald, who served as an MEP since 2019, has retired after over 30 years in public life where she served as a TD, Senator and Cabinet minister. While she is not contesting this election, all three of the other incumbents are seeking re-election.  

What are the issues?

As the Ireland South and Midlands-North-West European constituencies are so vast, it can be difficult for candidates to find a way of appealing to voters across multiple counties and provinces. Dublin is geographically the smallest constituency so candidates can get around it easier and focus their campaigns on Dublin specific issues.

Some of the candidates have been highlighting the need for better transport infrastructure in Dublin – with improved rail services and the long-proposed Metrolink project touted as ways of freeing up traffic congestion in the capital.

Focus has also been placed on the need for more supports for businesses and households in Dublin, to alleviate the strains caused by the ongoing cost of living crisis.

This election takes place against the backdrop of the Dublin riots and reports about increased drug use, anti-social behaviour and crime in parts of the capital, including the city centre. Some candidates have called for better policing in Dublin.

Other national issues like housing and homelessness have also come into focus in this campaign. However, there is a view that it is up to national parliaments and governments to deal with many of these issues within EU member states. Are candidates raising national issues that they know people are concerned about, when they know it is often beyond the role of an MEP to make changes in these areas?

Immigration is a topical issue across Europe in this election. For the first time in an Irish election, it is the dominant issue for voters, according to opinion polls during the campaign.

During the campaign, candidates are being asked for their views on international protection policy and their position on the EU migration pact, which sets out changes to how asylum seekers are processed, including new border procedures.

Climate change and climate action are also features of the campaign in Dublin. Specifically, candidates have been asked to outline their position on the EU’s Nature Restoration Law, the ‘Green deal’ and energy security for Ireland in the future.

With wars raging in Ukraine and Gaza, candidates have also been asked to outline their vision for Ireland’s future place in the world and asked their views on Ireland’s security policy. Questions around the Triple Lock process on the deployment of Defence Forces personnel overseas; whether Ireland will remain politically, as well as militarily, neutral in a new world order; and does the Europe need a Defence Commissioner have been among the issues debated by candidates in this campaign.

Which candidates will we see in tonight’s Prime Time debate? 

Eight of the 24 candidates in Dublin are taking part in tonight’s debate. They are Barry Andrews (Fianna Fáil), Lynn Boylan (Sinn Féin), Regina Doherty (Fine Gael), Ciarán Cuffe (Green Party), Clare Daly (Independents 4 Change), Sinéad Gibney (Social Democrats), Aodhán Ó Riordáin (Labour Party) and Bríd Smith (People Before Profit-Solidarity).

How were the candidates selected for tonight’s debate? 

The criteria used by RTÉ to decide who participates in debates is as follows: 

(A) If the candidate is currently an elected MEP, TD, Senator or Councillor. 

(B) If the candidate didn’t get elected but achieved 5% or more of the vote in their constituency in the most recent European, Local, General or Seanad election. 

(C) If the party for which the candidate is standing won a least one seat in the last European election, at least two seats in the last General Election or at least five seats in the last local elections or achieved 5% of the national vote in any of these elections. 

(D) In circumstances where there are remaining places after places arising from A, B and C have been determined, allocation is decided on the basis of the party with the greatest current number of elected TDs, senators and councillors.  

(E) Notwithstanding the above, a party cannot have two representatives in the same debate. Where a party has more than one candidate who qualifies for a debate, it will be for the party to nominate the candidate who will participate in the debate.

RTÉ’s Election Steering Group – a group of senior RTÉ editorial staff – has published details of the factors that guide the broadcaster’s overall approach to covering elections. Past court and regulatory decisions are taken into account, along with guidance issued by Coimisiún na Méan.  

That document can be viewed here. 

 Who are the other candidates? 

As well as the eight candidates participating in tonight’s debate, there are 16 others in the race for the five seats in Dublin. They are Umar Al-Qadri (Independent), Rebecca Barrett (National Party), Niall Boylan (Independent Ireland), Robin Cafolla (Independent), Aisling Considine (Aontú), Daithí Doolan (Sinn Féin), Philip Dwyer (Ireland First), Andy Heasman (The Irish People), Conor Murphy (Independent), Eamonn Murphy (Independent), Diarmaid Ó Conaráin (Irish Freedom Party), Brendan Ogle (Independent), Stephen O’Rourke (Independent), Patrick Quinlan (National Party), Bríd Smith (People Before Profit-Solidarity), Malachy Steenson (Independent)

What happened in Dublin last time around in 2019?

In 2019, Fine Gael won a 21% share of the vote and Frances Fitzgerald was elected. A wave of support for the Green party in the capital saw it win a 17.5% share of the vote to elect Ciarán Cuffe. Fianna Fáil’s Barry Andrews was elected after his party secured 14% of the vote with Independents 4 Change Clare Daly winning her seat on the back of 12% of the vote. Sinn Féin’s Lynn Boylan lost her seat five years ago after support for her party fell to 10%.  

Who will chair tonight’s Prime Time debate? 

Tonight’s debate will be co-chaired by Miriam O’Callaghan and Sarah McInerney.   

The debate is on Prime Time at 9.35pm on RTÉ One television, the RTÉ News channel and the RTÉ Player. RTÉ.ie will also be running a live text and image tracker throughout the debate.