RTÉ WILL HOST its largest ever leaders’ debate tonight, with ten party leaders appearing on stage.

Tonight’s Upfront with Katie Hannon will be the first, and only time, all ten will be together on the same stage for a debate.

The two-hour debate will begin at 9.35pm and will be available to watch on RTÉ One, the RTÉ News Channel, and on the RTÉ Player.

The ten politicians taking part are:

Labour leader Ivana Bacik; People Before Profit leader Richard Boyd Barrett; Right to Change leader Joan Collins; Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins; fine Gael leader Simon Harris; Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin; Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald; Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan; Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman; and Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín.

Speaking ahead of the live debate, presenter Katie Hannon remarked that this “is the only opportunity there will be during this election campaign to see all ten party leaders debate with each other and make their pitch for our votes”.

RTÉ’s second leaders’ debate on Tuesday 26 November will be a much smaller affair, with a special edition of Prime Time featuring the leaders of the three biggest parties, Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin.

Elsewhere, Virgin Media have already hosted Fine Gael leader and Taoiseach Simon Harris for an hour-long interview and will host Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald on Wednesday and Fianna Fáil’s Micheál Martin on Wednesday, 27 November.

Meanwhile, Mary Lou McDonald has claimed that Simon Harris is “refusing” to take part in a proposed Today FM/Sky News Leaders debate.

McDonald remarked: “He (Haris) won’t have this debate with me.

BREAKING: Simon Harris is refusing to take part in the proposed Today FM/Sky News Leaders debate. He won’t have this debate with me. He is hiding from answering for Fine Gael's disastrous performance in government over 14 years. Simon Harris has no new ideas, no new plans and…

— Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) November 16, 2024

“He is hiding from answering for Fine Gael’s disastrous performance in government over 14 years.

“Simon Harris has no new ideas, no new plans and doesn’t like being challenged on his record.”

Today FM’s Matt Cooper said the debate was proposed for this coming Friday and would have been shown on Sky News and simulcast on Today FM.

“I remain hopeful that Simon Harris might be able to find time in his schedule,” said Cooper.

However, a source close to Simon Harris claimed that the party didn’t receive a formal invitation for the debate.