The competition for the position of Tánaiste in the next Government heated up today with a renewed challenge to the Labour leader by the Progressive Democrats leader to hold a televised debate.
Ms Mary Harney called on Mr Ruairí Quinn to meet her challenge, saying both parties were prepared to enter government with Fianna Fáil under certain conditions, despite having very different policies.
"Both of us are independent parties, determined to shape the policies of any government," she said, adding that she was calling for the debate on the "policies and priorities each of us would have as alternative holders of the office of Tánaiste."
She cited her previous debate with Mr Dick Spring in 1997 and Mr Quinn's debate with Sinn Féin's Mr Gerry Adams on RTÉ's Late Late Showas precedents.
A Labour source dismissed the call, saying it was "about the tenth time she’d called for such a debate."
"We will have ten times as many seats as the PDs after the next election, so this is just a desperate attempt to attract attention, we’re just not going to get involved," he added.
