AFTER days of political squabbling over televised pre-election debates, the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, has confirmed that he will "debate with Mary Harney any time".
However, the row involving political coverage is not over as Democratic Left last night launched a sharp attack on RTE, accusing it of "capitulating" to political pressure from Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats and allowing these parties to dictate editorial decisions" on a key current affairs programme - Questions and Answers.
Claiming the station had "backed down to pressure" from the two parties, it said RTE had acted in a manner unworthy of a public service broadcaster.
Shortly after Mr Spring last night surprisingly indicated on RTE's Six One News that he was prepared to take on Ms Harney in a head-to-head televised challenge, RTE's Editor of Current Affairs, Mr Peter Feeney, confirmed that the debate will take place on Monday night.
"From our point of view this is good news. We look forward to providing the facilities and will be talking to both parties. We don't think it is feasible to have Proinsias De Rossa involved because it would be two against one, but we will carry a separate interview with him on Primetime the same evening."
The Progressive Democrats leader responded immediately to Mr Spring's comments, saying she welcomed his eleventh-hour decision".
Earlier in the day, Ms Harney had said she would not take part in a planned TV debate with Mr De Rossa, a move that led the party to brand her as "chicken". Claiming that Mr De Rossa had been sent out by the Tanaiste to debate on his behalf, she called on Mr Spring to "come out from under the Rock of Cashel" and agree to a head-to-head with her.
Regretting Ms Harney's decision not to participate, Mr De Rossa said her party had been involved in silly publicity stunts including dressing up members of her youth organisation in chicken costumes to stalk members of the Government".
Up to yesterday evening, it appeared that RTE's plan for a pre-election televised debate between the leaders of Labour, the Progressive Democrats and Democratic Left would have to be scrapped after the three politicians failed to agree on a format.
Meanwhile, Democratic Left confirmed last night that it would, "with great reluctance", withdraw from Sunday night's Questions and Answers programme. The party's director of elections, Mr Pat Brady, said it was doing so "to ensure that Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats are not allowed to sabotage the programme for the second week running".
However, he accused RTE of failing to honour a commitment given to the party that it would have a panellist on one of the three pre-election Questions and Answers programmes.
Earlier, Mr Feeney said RTE had originally offered separate interviews to the leaders of Labour, the Progressive Democrats and Democratic Left on Monday's Primetime programme.
But, political and media speculation that there might be a debate between Mr Spring, Mr De Rossa and Ms Harney, led RTE to write to all three parties offering to facilitate a debate "if all the parties were in agreement".