Members giddy as contest starts to heat up

Unlike his first hustings, Leo didn’t read straight from his script, addressing the audience directly and lobbing in a few sly jabs at Simon, writes Lisa Hand

Maybe it’s just after spending a year essentially cooling their heels and trying not to start any digging-matches with the lads from Fianna Fáil who are mysteriously in charge of the government’s political lifeline, but the Fine Gael TDs and senators are a right herd of giddy-goats at the prospect of getting a brand new party leader.

Outside the Carlow DIT, the venue for the second of the four debates, two members of the Oireachtas hustled over to a loitering journalist. “I think Leo shaded the debate tonight,” claimed one. “Especially in the second half,” concurred his colleague.