Overview
- Virgin Media hosted the 60‑minute debate on September 29 with Catherine Connolly, Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys and Fianna Fáil’s Jim Gavin, moderated by Kieran Cuddihy.
- Analysts judged Connolly’s performance the strongest, noting clear, fluent contributions and effective messaging after she opened the debate in Irish.
- Humphreys faced persistent questioning about the Government’s record on defence underfunding, urban safety, immigration and housing, making her night the most difficult.
- Gavin took a more assertive line by challenging Connolly on defence and neutrality, with assessments saying he did better than expected though delivery remained uneven.
- Key issues included neutrality and the triple lock, immigration, housing and Gaza, with further debates ahead before the October 24 vote and counting on October 25.