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Taoiseach declines to take part in TV3 debate with Gerry Adams

The government and the broadcaster have both confirmed that Enda Kenny will not debate Gerry Adams two days before the referendum in a live televised debate which will not now go ahead.

TAOISEACH ENDA KENNY has declined to take part in a live debate on TV3 two days before the referendum on the Fiscal Compact treaty.

The government has this afternoon confirmed that Kenny will not participate in a live debate with Gerry Adams on 29 May, two days before polling despite the broadcaster offering to replace moderator Vincent Browne with its political editor Ursula Halligan.

This follows Kenny’s comments that he does “not do the Vincent Browne programme”, a stance believed to be related to comments the veteran journalist made about the Fine Gael leader when he said that he should go into a dark room with a gun and a bottle of whiskey.

Browne later apologised for these comments.

A government spokesperson said today there were a “number of conversations ongoing” about the possibility of Kenny appearing on other broadcast debates during the referendum campaign but added that nothing had been finalised at this point.

TV3 said in a statement: “The decision by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny to decline TV3’s offer to participate in a live debate on the European Fiscal Treaty with the Sinn Fein leader, for no stated reason, is regrettable.

‘Bias towards the state broadcaster’

The broadcaster said that it did not expect Kenny to appear in any televised debates during the referendum campaign including with the state broadcaster, RTÉ, because this would indicate bias.

The statement continued: “It is disappointing to note that the only occasions on which the Taoiseach has chosen to appear on TV3 is when he seeks to promote charitable causes.

“Whilst these appearances are important, our viewers are equally entitled to hear the Taoiseach’s views on matters of major national interest, including the forthcoming fiscal treaty referendum.

“TV3 can now only assume that the Taoiseach will not appear in televised debates during the course of the referendum campaign including on RTE television, in order to avoid any inference or suggestion of bias towards the state broadcaster.”

The spokesman for the Taoiseach said he would not “comment on hypothetical situations” when asked about TV3′s comments.

TV3 said that the debate would not now go ahead.

Poll: Is Enda Kenny right to refuse to take part in a debate with Vincent Browne?

Read: Browne offer to step aside from TV3 debate ‘under consideration’ by Taoiseach

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124 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael McLoughlin
    Favourite Michael McLoughlin
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    Jul 29th 2017, 9:52 AM

    Still use my nano for runs and the gym , it’s great.

    113
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    Mute Seeking Truth
    Favourite Seeking Truth
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    Jul 29th 2017, 9:47 AM

    We had the classic iPod, then our daughter got the nano5 and our son the nano7. His has broken since, but hers still works.
    Would be nice to have an mp3 player not reliant on the internet to give kids to let them have music in their bedroom….tjat did not have a camera, text messaging, etc. In other words, can we have separate devices for each activity? Oh wait….we used to have it that way…..

    88
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    Mute Deborah Behan
    Favourite Deborah Behan
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    Jul 29th 2017, 12:57 PM

    @Seeking Truth: I bought my daughter a low tech stereo system and CDs! She loves that the radio never buffers!!!

    15
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    Mute Seeking Truth
    Favourite Seeking Truth
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    Jul 29th 2017, 5:04 PM

    @Deborah Behan: she has a CD player and can listen to the radio on her iPod nano. But Spotify makes things tricky!! Looking at a Sonos wireless speaker that runs from an app anywhere in the house so the device can stay downstairs but they are fairly spendy!!!

    3
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    Mute Will Keane
    Favourite Will Keane
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    Jul 29th 2017, 9:46 AM

    Still have me 2gb nano and 80gb iPod 2nd edition and they are still going strong!

    45
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    Mute wiklagirl
    Favourite wiklagirl
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    Jul 29th 2017, 10:30 AM

    I still use my 120gb iPod. Long may it last !

    34
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    Mute WilhelminaMCallaghan
    Favourite WilhelminaMCallaghan
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    Jul 29th 2017, 9:32 AM

    I wish I had any iPod

    26
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    Mute Mr. Dragmire
    Favourite Mr. Dragmire
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    Jul 29th 2017, 11:12 AM

    I won an iPod nano 4th gen in college in 2004. I wasn’t into music really turn so I gave it to my sister who was. A few years later she gave it back when she got a phone that could store music. I used it for podcasts and music then. In 2010 I got an iPod touch 4th gen and used that instead. A couple years ago I gave the iPod nano back to my sister and she uses it for music in her car. It’s a great little device.

    20
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    Mute Catherine Sims
    Favourite Catherine Sims
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    Jul 29th 2017, 1:07 PM

    What’s a Walkman ??? :) I’m still hauling a record player around with a long extension lead :)

    19
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    Mute Melina Roberts
    Favourite Melina Roberts
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    Jul 29th 2017, 12:09 PM

    I have the first Generation IPod, took great care of it and think I even have the original box for it.I’m hoping it will be worth something in the future

    12
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    Mute Revolting Peasant
    Favourite Revolting Peasant
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    Jul 29th 2017, 10:57 PM

    @Melina Roberts: It probably will be. Apple recalled them a few years back due to battery issues and replaced them with a newer version (the small square thing whose button always breaks). If the screen wasn’t broken we wouldn’t of sent ours away. It was the original classic design.

    1
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    Mute ivan lynch
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    Jul 29th 2017, 10:20 AM

    Pity…
    very tough to get a device these days that children want and can satisfy parents at the same time.

    12
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    Mute Alan Scott
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    Jul 29th 2017, 1:42 PM

    Over rated over priced just like VW Audi cars.

    8
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    Mute Rui Firmino
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    Jul 30th 2017, 12:02 PM

    @Alan Scott: I got a nano 9 years ago and still works fine. Worth every cent!

    1
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    Mute Ger
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    Jul 29th 2017, 3:13 PM

    I had a 5th gen Nano about 10 years ago. It was a perfect piece of kit and had I not lost it it would probably still be my preferred way to listen to music.

    7
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    Mute Eamonn Sheen
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    Jul 29th 2017, 2:21 PM

    I had a 160gb iPod classic and have an iPod touch but never use it now. I use Spotify on my phone as my main source of music these days.

    5
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    Mute Lily
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    Jul 29th 2017, 6:00 PM

    I waited for the first generation iPod touch. I still have it (though for a time I thought I lost it and got a 4th or 5th generation iPod touch and found the 1st generation one a few days later.)

    4
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    Mute Leitrim303
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    Jul 29th 2017, 7:28 PM

    never liked apple devices

    2
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    Mute Ciaran O Reilly
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    Jul 30th 2017, 7:59 PM

    Classic

    1
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    Mute Charles McCarthy
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    Jul 29th 2017, 8:08 PM

    I have a one of those iPod classics U2 edition jobbys somewhere in the house, never even been used as I can’t find it. I’m sure that it is a great little device when it turns up! : O

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    Mute Gary Mason
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    Jul 29th 2017, 7:55 PM

    Never owned an Apple product and never will.

    1
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    Mute George Roche
    Favourite George Roche
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    Jul 30th 2017, 8:11 AM

    My neck’s killing me carting this boombox about.

    1
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