Overview

• Fine Gael's Simon Harris and Fianna Fail's Micheal Martin firmly ruled out a coalition with Sinn Fein, citing major policy differences.
• Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald emphasized the historic nature of the election, advocating for a government led by neither Fine Gael nor Fianna Fail.
• Housing policies were a major point of contention, with accusations of mismanagement and differing solutions proposed by various leaders.
• Climate change strategies sparked debate, particularly around the effectiveness of the carbon tax and emissions reduction targets.
• All party leaders agreed on supporting a bill to ban imports from illegal Israeli settlements, highlighting consensus on international policy.