Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney clash at head-to-head hustings
Simon Coveney and Leo Varadkar have clashed sharply during a lively debate during their first head-to-head hustings in Dublin this evening,
- Thursday, May 25: Red Cow Hotel, Dublin, 8pm
- Friday, May 26: Barrow Centre, IT Carlow, 8pm
- Saturday, May 27: Shearwater Hotel, Ballinasloe, Co Galway, 8pm
- Sunday, May 28: Clayton Hotel Silver Springs, Cork, 8pm
Leadership candidates Simon Coveney and Leo Varadkar will take part in four regional hustings at the following venues:
The debates with be live-streamed on the Fine Gael Facebook page.
About 21,000 rank-and-file members have a vote, along with 232 party councillors.
Voting for the eligible party members will take place nationwide at 26 polling stations on Monday May 29, Tuesday May 30, Wednesday, May 31 and Thursday June 1.
The parliamentary party will meet and vote in Dublin on Friday, June 2. All votes will be brought to a National Count Centre in Dublin on that Friday, where they will be will be verified and counted under the supervision of the National Returning Officer.
Votes will be weighted in accordance with the Fine Gael electoral college rules, with the 73 members of the Parliamentary Party (PP) accounting for 65% of the total vote, almost 21,000 party members accounting for 25% and 235 local representatives (232 councillors and 3 Údarás na Gaeltachta members) accounting for the remaining 10% of the vote.
