Martin and Gilmore clash on TV3 debate

Micheál Martin and Eamon Gilmore opened the first round of leaders’ debates tonight with harsh exchanges and a blame game over the economic crisis.

The Labour leader hit out at the current Government, insisting the country needs “surgery not butchery”.

As the head to head with Fianna Fail heated up over the banking collapse and recession Mr Martin warned that his opponent was playing games.

The TV3 debate, round one in a series which will later include Fine Gael’s absent leader Enda Kenny, kicked off with the pair trading blows over how to reverse the €19bn deficit, the blanket bank guarantee and the International Monetary Fund-European Union loan.

Mr Gilmore lashed the Government’s negotiation skills for the €85bn rescue package.

“That was the worst decision by an Irish government made in my lifetime,” he said.

The Labour leader also claimed the Government allowed a phony investigation into the bank guarantee.

Mr Martin said if the Irish banks had not been protected in September 2008 Ireland would have been swamped by social chaos.

“I think you are perpetuating a con trick on the people on this,” he said.

Disputes over how the impact of the IMF-EU loan package could be eased also dominated the first half.

Mr Martin accused Labour of wanting to reverse the deal unilaterally.

He said Mr Gilmore should take an “intelligent approach”.

“I don’t need lectures from you or anybody else about standing up for my country,” Mr Martin said.

“This is not about banging tables or bravado.”

Mr Gilmore hit back: “Of course it’s about intelligent renegotiation.

“I hope you don’t think that intelligence is entirely the preserve of the Fianna Fáil organisation.”

The leaders also battled it out on health and education but Mr Gilmore appeared to steal a march on the issue of politicians’ pay.

He suggested decisions on salary and severance pay should be left in the hands of the Comptroller and Auditor General, not sitting TDs.

Earlier, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan compared Mr Kenny’s absence from the TV debate to the criticisms levelled at his own government’s lack of communications.

Outgoing Taoiseach Brian Cowen was repeatedly under-fire for his failure to inform the public clearly on the economic crisis.

Mr Kenny was attending a public meeting in Carrick-on-Shannon rather than the television showdown.

But he insisted he would take part in three other live debates later in the campaign.

Mr Gilmore landed a few punches with a strong start and finish to the one hour-plus debate.

He lashed Mr Martin’s Government as lousy in the opening salvo and rounded off with a bitter blow about the impact of billions in spending cuts and tax hikes.

“Do you realise how people feel,” he asked, “when they open their pay packets and they see the damage your Government has done?”

Despite the minor point-scoring there were no knockout blows from either man.

Mr Martin put up a staunch defence of his Government in the recession and fought confidently when challenged on future policies, despite his debating powers being thrown up as a potential weakness by commentators.

Winning plaudits with a strong delivery and pushing the boundaries on time limits in the debate, Mr Martin repeatedly attacked Labour for chopping and changing policies.

He said the party had switched its position on tax and cuts, in particular water and property levies, every three months.

In one instance he branded Mr Gilmore’s policy position as hypocrisy.

“No one knows where you stand on any of these issues,” Mr Martin said.

Mr Martin also threw Fine Gael into the mix, claiming the front-running party in the election campaign were also prone to flitting from one policy to another.

Mr Gilmore hit back, albeit with a slip labelling the former minister a current Cabinet member.

“Let’s not forget something, minister – it’s your Fianna Fail party that has got us into this hole,” he said.

“When it come to chopping and changing, nobody does it better or does it worse than Fianna Fáil.”