Ireland

As well as questions from the moderator Claire Byrne, the seven party leaders faced questions from a 300-strong audience.

With the general election less than a fortnight away it’s a chance for each leader to set out their stall for the electorate and for the voter to get a better sense of where each party stands on major issues facing the country.

The debate, moderated on Virgin Media One by veteran broadcaster Pat Kenny turned into a best-of of both parties’ main themes to date - for Mr Varadkar, that what has been done thus far under his Government isn’t enough but with a plea for the electorate to back his party to build on what it has

Several presidential candidates have criticised the formats of TV debates during the campaign, describing them as “farcical” and in bad need of reform.

The figures indicate the show was the most watched presidential debate in this year’s contest.

Both sides in a challenge to RTE's refusal to include Green Party leader in its leaders' TV debate must pay their own legal costs, the High Court ruled.

A Green Party trustee wants legal costs against RTÉ of his failed challenge to the broadcaster’s exclusion of Green Party leader Eamon Ryan from a televised party leaders debate during the general election.

RTÉ is seeking its legal costs against a Green Party trustee following the rejection of his legal challenge to the broadcaster’s refusal to invite Green Party leader Eamon Ryan to participate in a televised party leaders’ debate.

The Renua leader has written to Ireland's three TV stations asking to be included in another leaders' debate.