NEXT YEAR THE public across Ireland will get a chance to engage in televised debates with sitting TDs around the country.

Tv3′s ‘The People’s Debate with Vincent Browne’ will be brought to a number of venues around the country in January and February of the New Year.

The show will invite sitting TDs to participate in a debate with members of their constituency – in a format that describes itself as “democracy television”.

The show’s audience will have one half of its seating allocated to political parties and groupings and its other half allocated to members of the general public with no political party or organisation.

Audit 

As part of the each show every sitting TD in the constituency will be subject to an audit of their activity in office and track record of delivery.

The programme will also include a breakdown of the socio-economic profile of each of the constituencies with a focus on candidates’ promises coming into the next election.

Last year

‘The People’s Debate’ was launched last year as part of a programming drive by the channel.

Four episodes were broadcast in the show’s initial run between March and June last year – with a fifth taking place in October in the build up to Budget 2015.

The shows in the New Year will differ from last year’s run in that they will be focused on the politics of a particular area as opposed to particular issues.

The show will be recorded in Wicklow, Galway west, Clare and Dublin north west – with TDs being invited to “discuss local and national issues among their own constituents”.

Read: “I would have preferred not to have seen Mr Browne at all”

Also: Vincent Browne handed out his media awards last night (oh, and we got one)