With only a few days to go, will the debate mark a decisive moment in the election?

Not the Tuesday one with Leo Varadkar, Micheál Martin and Mary-Lou McDonald, but the one the previous evening between Michael Creed, Charlie McConalogue and Matt Carthy, focused specifically on agriculture.

With the last seats in multi-seat constituencies set to decide the formation of the next government, and no less than 25 of the constituencies significantly rural (all except the 11 Dublin constituencies, Cork North-Central and South-Central, Limerick City, and Galway West), the farming and rural vote is critical.

That explains why three party leaders attended the IFA AGM, just as parliamentary hopefuls are attending IFA hustings all over the country.

I believe that when he was in New Ross to open the Rose Kennedy Bridge and bypass, Leo Varadkar met representatives of some of the farmers involved in last year’s beef protests.

The engagement lasted over half an hour. The Taoiseach heard from farmers who were not representing any one farm organisation on a range of issues. You really wouldn’t get it anywhere else.

Watching Charlie McConalogue, Matt Carthy and Michael Creed sitting around the table in Tullamore on Monday evening in advance of the debate, having a cup of tea and a chat with the host family, you are struck by the ordinariness and decency of our politicians.

Of course there are exceptions, but most politicians are approachable, and put in long hours trying to make the country a better place to live in.

The debate itself was fascinating. Usually the minister of the day would be on the defensive, but with Fine Gael slipping in the polls, Creed threw off the shackles and was the aggressor on the night. Matt Carthy never took a step back, in fairness, and the real differences between Sinn Féin’s policies were thrashed out. Charlie McConalogue was a little lower key, explaining Fianna Fáil’s policy in detail, but avoiding conflict.

On Saturday, we get the chance to choose who leads the country, perhaps into the centenary of the foundation of the state.

There are differences between the parties, and farmers should make sure they vote for the government they want, because we will get the government we vote for.