Newstalk and YouTube launch #ge11 “Digital Debates”

“What will you do, if elected, to ensure that the people responsible for sending our country down the toilet are brought to account. If they are found to have acted illegally – shouldn’t they end up in jail?” – jmaycock

This is one of the most popular questions Irish people want to ask the country’s leading politicians running for election this February. The question, along with over 245 others, has been submitted to YouTube and Newstalk’s Digital Debate event taking place during the month of the election.

On the channel voters (and non-voters alike) can submit questions which NewsTalk and YouTube will put to the leaders of the country’s main political parties, Enda Kenny, Micheal Martin, Eamon Gilmore, Gerry Adams and John Gormley.

Questions asked on the site so far suggest that the economy will be one of the key issues for Irish voters; YouTube user deedelbum, has asked one of the most popular questions on the site,

If you get into government, will you introduce a law to stop people who owe money (especially to the state) signing over all their assets and money to their spouses or children etc? Will you regress this law to before the bankers/developers did this?

Between February 11 and February 15 users can post questions about the economy, jobs, health and education, political reform or other issues on the site. They will also be able to vote for or against questions submitted by other users.

On the Friday the following week, February 18, the politicians’ answers will be put online. YouTube users will then have a week, until February 24, to vote for the best and worst answers.

Questions can be submitted on the IrishElection channel here.