# The People's Debate with Vincent Browne

The People's Debate with Vincent Browne was a topical debate TV3 television programme in Ireland. Presented by Vincent Browne, the two-hour-long broadcast occurred before a studio audience where audience members participated on the chosen subject(s). Initially airing on the first Wednesday of every month at 10 pm, in the months ahead of the 2016 general election it took to airing more regularly as it undertook a tour of all Dáil Éireann constituencies.

## Origins

The People's Debate was launched by TV3 on 12 February 2014. The programme was described as an "experiment in democracy television" featuring a "range of hard hitting, intelligent and probing topics" with "no boundaries as it deals with serious current affairs issues in Ireland from topical matters, political discussion, economics and the affairs of the nation."
The first transmission occurred on Wednesday 5 March 2014. The final show aired on 22 February 2016.

## Chairman

The programme was chaired by Vincent Browne, who also presents the four-times weekly Tonight with Vincent Browne.
Browne described the programme as "a new experiment in Irish television". He claimed: "This will be TV3's largest audience show to date with 150–200 people debating the important national issues of the day. There will be no panel of the usual important suspects – if the usual important suspects want to participate they will do so on the same basis as everyone else. This is democracy television."

## List of episodes

| # | Motion | Broadcast date |
| 1 | That the Fine Gael-Labour Government deserves the support of the Irish people | 5 March 2014 |
| 2 | That Irish women are not yet liberated | 2 April 2014 |
| 3 | That the Irish people should elect Eurosceptic candidates in the upcoming European elections | 7 May 2014 |
| 4 | That Ireland is homophobic | 4 June 2014 |
| 5 | That Budget 2015 should prioritise the relief of the squeezed middle income earners | 1 October 2014 |

### Tour of constituencies

Browne toured the Dáil Éireann constituencies with the programme throughout 2015 and early 2016 (ahead of a general election), concluding with the constituencies of the four leaders of the parties with the largest representation in the 31st Dáil. The ruling party, Fine Gael, boycotted many of the early debates.
| Constituency | Sitting TDs$^1$ | Excuses offered by absentees | Broadcast location | Broadcast date | Date recorded (if different) |
| Wicklow | Stephen Donnelly, Andrew Doyle, Anne Ferris, Simon Harris, Billy Timmins | | Grand Hotel in Wicklow | Wednesday, 14 January 2015 | Saturday, 10 January 2015 |
| Clare | Pat Breen, Joe Carey, Timmy Dooley, Michael McNamara | | Auburn Lodge Hotel in Ennis | Wednesday, 21 January 2015 | Friday, 16 January 2015 |
| Cork North-West | Áine Collins, Michael Creed, Michael Moynihan | | Charleville Park Hotel | Wednesday, 28 January 2015 | Friday, 23 January 2015 |
| $^2$Donegal | Pearse Doherty, Charlie McConalogue, Joe McHugh, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, Thomas Pringle | | Clanree Hotel in Letterkenny | Wednesday, 4 February 2015 | Friday, 30 January 2015 |
| $^2$Cavan–Monaghan | Seán Conlan, Heather Humphriesies, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, Joe O'Reilly, Brendan Smith | | Errigal Hotel in Cootehill | Wednesday, 25 February 2015 | Monday, 23 February 2015 |
| Dublin North-West | Dessie Ellis, John Lyons, Róisín Shortall | | The Regency Hotel, Swords Road | Wednesday, 4 March 2015 | Monday, 2 March 2015 |
| Sligo–Leitrim | Michael Colreavy, John Perry, Tony Mcloughlin | Perry promised until that morning then said he had another engagement; didn't reply to several attempts at contact. Mcloughlin refused. | The Clarion Hotel in Sligo Town | Wednesday, 11 March 2015 | Monday, 9 March 2015 |
| Meath West | Peadar Tóibín, Damien English Ray Butler | | The Knightsbrook Hotel in Trim | Wednesday, 25 March 2015 | Monday, 23 March 2015 |
| Dublin Mid-West | Frances Fitzgerald, Robert Dowds, Derek Keating, Joanna Tuffy | | Red Cow Moran Hotel | Wednesday, 1 April 2015 | Monday, 30 March 2015 |
| Kildare North | Bernard Durkan, Anthony Lawlor, Catherine Murphy, Emmet Stagg | | Killashee House Hotel in Naas | Wednesday, 15 April 2015 | Monday, 13 April 2015 |
| Galway West | Noel Grealish, Seán Kyne, Éamon Ó Cuív, Brian Walsh, Derek Nolan | | Galway Bay Hotel in Salthill | Wednesday, 22 April 2015 | Monday, 20 April 2015 |
| Limerick County | Niall Collins, Dan Neville, Patrick O'Donovan | | Rathkeale House Hotel | Wednesday, 29 April 2015 | Monday, 27 April 2015 |
| Meath East | Regina Doherty, Dominic Hannigan, Helen McEntee | McEntee said she had an illness. | Headfort Arms Hotel in Kells | Wednesday, 13 May 2015 | Monday, 11 May 2015 |
| Waterford | Paudie Coffey, Ciara Conway, John Deasy, John Halligan | Deasy "couldn't be bothered" according to Browne | Tower Hotel | Wednesday, 20 May 2015 | Monday, 18 May 2015 |
| Dublin South-Central | Catherine Byrne, Eric Byrne, Michael Conaghan, Joan Collins, Aengus Ó Snodaigh | Michael Conaghan "couldn't be bothered" according to Browne | Our Lady's Hall in Drimnagh | Wednesday, 3 June 2015$^3$ | Monday, 25 May 2015 or 1 June 2015?$^3$ |
| Laois | Charles Flanagan, Seán Fleming, Brian Stanley | | Abbeyleix Manor Hotel | Wednesday, 10 June 2015 | Monday, 8 June 2015 |
| Galway East | Ciarán Cannon, Paul Connaughton Jnr, Michael Kitt, Colm Keaveney | | Raheen Woods Hotel in Athenry | Wednesday, 17 June 2015 | Monday, 15 June 2015 |
| Kerry | Jimmy Deenihan, Martin Ferris, Brendan Griffin, Tom Fleming, Michael Healy-Rae, Arthur Spring | Deenihan was abroad at the time, representing the government in San Francisco following the Berkeley balcony collapse. | Gleneagle Hotel in Killarney | Wednesday, 24 June 2015 | Monday, 22 June 2015 |
| Dublin Rathdown | Peter Mathews, Olivia Mitchell, Shane Ross, Alan Shatter, Alex White | | Brass Bar at the Stillorgan Park Hotel | Wednesday, 1 July 2015 | Monday, 29 June 2015 |
| Offaly | Marcella Corcaran Kennedy, Barry Cowen | | Tullamore Court Hotel | Wednesday, 8 July 2015 | Monday, 6 July 2015 |
| Dublin Bay North | Tommy Broughan, Richard Bruton, Terence Flanagan, Finian McGrath, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin | | Clontarf Hotel | Wednesday, 9 September 2015 | Monday, 7 September 2015 |
| Roscommon–Galway | Michael Fitzmaurice, Denis Naughten | | The Abbey Hotel, Conference and Leisure Centre in Roscommon | Wednesday, 16 September 2015 | Monday, 14 September 2015 |
| Carlow–Kilkenny | John Paul Phelan, Pat Deering, Bobby Alyward, John McGuinness, Ann Phelan (Arrived Late) | | The Woodford Dolmen Hotel in Carlow | Wednesday, 23 September 2015 | Monday, 21 September 2015 |
| Cork South-West | Jim Daly, Noel Harrington, Michael McCarthy | | The Maritime Hotel in Bantry | Wednesday, 30 September 2015 | Monday, 28 September 2015 |
| Dublin South-West | Seán Crowe, Eamonn Maloney, Paul Murphy, Pat Rabbitte | | St Anne's GAA Club | Wednesday, 7 October 2015 | Monday, 5 October 2015 |
| Dublin Central | Joe Costello, Paschal Donohoe, Mary Lou McDonald, Maureen O'Sullivan | | DCU St Patrick's Campus | Wednesday, 21 October 2015 | Monday, 19 October 2015 |
| Dún Laoghaire | Seán Barrett, Richard Boyd Barrett, Eamon Gilmore, Mary Mitchell O'Connor | | The Royal Marine Hotel | Wednesday, 4 November 2015 | Monday, 2 November 2015 |
| Wexford | Paul Kehoe, Liam Twomey,James Browne, Brendan Howlin, Mick Wallace | | White's Hotel | Wednesday, 11 November 2015 | Monday, 9 November 2015 |
| Tipperary | Séamus Healy, Alan Kelly, Michael Lowry, Mattie McGrath, Noel Coonan, Tom Hayes | Kelly promised he would appear but never arrived. | Clonmel Park Hotel | Wednesday, 18 November 2015 | Monday, 16 November 2015 |
| Cork North-Central | Billy Kelleher, Kathleen Lynch, Dara Murphy, Jonathan O'Brien | | The Commons Inn, Commons Road, Cork | Wednesday, 25 November 2015 | Monday, 23 November 2015 |
| Dublin Bay South | Lucinda Creighton, Kevin Humpheys, Eoghan Murphy | | The Ballsbridge Hotel | Wednesday, 2 December 2015 | Monday, 30 November 2015 |
| Limerick City | Michael Noonan, Willie O'Dea, Kieran O'Donnell, Jan O'Sullivan | | The Limerick Strand Hotel | Wednesday, 9 December 2015 | Monday, 7 December 2015 |
| Kildare South | Seán Ó Fearghaíl , Martin Heydon | | The Keadeen Hotel in Newbridge | Wednesday, 6 January 2016 | Monday, 4 January 2016 |
| Dublin Fingal | Clare Daly, Alan Farrell, James Reilly, Brendan Ryan | | The Grand Hotel in Malahide | Wednesday, 13 January 2016 | Monday, 11 January 2016 |
| Cork East | Seán Sherlock, David Stanton, Tom Barry, Sandra McLellan | | The Firgrove Hotel in Mitchelstown | Wednesday, 27 January 2016 | Monday, 25 January 2016 |
| Longford–Westmeath | James Bannon, Gabrielle McFadden,Willie Penrose, Robert Troy | | The Grenville Arms Hotel in Mullingar | Wednesday, 3 February 2016 | Monday, 1 February 2016$^4$ |
| Cork South-Central | Jerry Buttimer, Simon Coveney, Ciarán Lynch, Micheál Martin, Michael McGrath | | The Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork | Tuesday, 9 February 2016 | N/A |
| Louth | Gerry Adams, Peter Fitzpatrick, Ged Nash, Fergus O'Dowd | | The Carrickdale Hotel in Dundalk | Wednesday, 17 February 2016 | N/A |
| Dublin West | Tánaiste Joan Burton, Ruth Coppinger, Leo Varadkar | | The Carlton Hotel in Blanchardstown | Thursday, 18 February 2016 | N/A |
| Mayo | Dara Calleary, Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Michelle Mulherin, Michael Ring | | Mayo Convention Centre at the TF Royal Hotel in Castlebar | Monday, 22 February 2016 | N/A |
* 1. TDs present at a debate among their constituents are marked in green. TDs absent from a debate among their constituents are marked in red.
* 2. Between debates No. 4 and No. 5 (Donegal and Cavan–Monaghan), there occurred a studio debate on 11 February 2015 on the upcoming marriage referendum.
* 3. Transmission postponed from 27 May due to unspecified scheduling difficulties (possibly the airing of the Europa League Final football game, which occurred on the same night)
* 4. Originally announced for Monday 18 January 2016, then abruptly postponed.