Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Updated 12.10pm
MINISTER FOR EDUCATION Richard Bruton has decided he won’t be contesting the Fine Gael leadership, and will be supporting Leo Varadkar as leader.
His announcement comes as Enda Kenny stepped down from the position last night, kickstarting a campaign to determine who will be his successor.
He said that he decided there was no need for him to run, as the two announced candidates – housing minister Simon Coveney, and social protection minister Leo Varadkar – provided enough of a choice for the party.
Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney are the two frontrunners in the campaign early on, and the only two to be definitely contesting the position so far.
Bruton said that he made his decision not to run in the past few hours.
He added that he notified Simon Coveney of his intention to back Varadkar, but wasn’t able to get through to Varadkar to let him know – so his public announcement would be the first he’ll hear of it.
He joins Paschal Donohoe, Simon Harris, and Frances Fitzgerald in the ministers who have said they won’t contest the Fine Gael leadership.
Earlier
There has been much speculation over whether some of their party colleagues will throw their hat in the ring for the leadership.
Fitzgerald was seen as a strong possibility to announce her candidacy, however the Justice Minister has now put an end to speculation by saying she will not enter.
Justice minister Frances Fitzgerald announced this morning that she would run for Fine Gael leader, saying that entering the contest “is not the right decision for me”.
In a short statement released this morning, Fitzgerald said she had “seriously considered contesting the leadership election”.
“I have been touched by the encouragement and support I have received,” she said.
But I have decided that entering the contest is not the right decision for me.
She credited Enda Kenny for his “immense and extraordinary” work on behalf of the country.
“He strove for the best in a way that was tireless, relentless, enthusiastic and compassionate,” she said.
Fitzgerald said she looked forward to the campaign and the “bright future ahead for Fine Gael”.
Only Fine Gael members can vote for the next party leader. The vote will be split between TDs, councillors and general party members.
A vote will be cast by councillors and parliamentary party members on Friday 2 June. A Dáil vote to elect a Taoiseach is then expected to take place on Tuesday 13 June.
With reporting from Gráinne Ní Aodha
April 1st has come early.
@Jim O Brien – TechBuzz Ireland: wait until they say they will have a moon base
@Jim O Brien – TechBuzz Ireland: Should you not be off bullying children on Twitter?
@Jim O Brien – TechBuzz Ireland: at least he’s not promising drink driving permits
Totally desperate..
@Willy Mc Bride: hahahha how is taxing multinational corporations more to provide this tax desperate?
@Kevin Finnegan: how is making promises that will not be fulfilled not desperate?
Labour are offering a free for all for every big political item and hoping the electorate fall for it.
Next, they will pay for your next chicken roll.
@milton friedman: the Tories are promising massive spending as well. They cut the country into oblivion however.
Looks like he’s been coached by the same people that coached our leaders.
@In my opinion: No he’s smarter because at least he intends to nationalise the infrastructure. Our broadband network will be owned by a single company, who can cream prices for households where they will hold a monopoly for the service
@In my opinion: um this is a Labour Party proposal not his. A democratic decision by a party that extends its votes to its membership – the largest party membership of anywhere i. Europe.
@Peter McGlynn: it’s a silly Point you keep making. He’s the party leader FFS. You think if Blair were still there this would be proposed?
Are you’d seriously saying Corbyn has no control over his own party’s manifesto? Come on. Be real.
@Peter McGlynn: the problem with a populist vote on everything being free is no one is there to say no, the money isn’t there. And the country ends up borrowing
If you put extortionate taxes on the rich economy slows.
He could’ve gone the whole hog and promised free electric cars for everyone too while he was at it.
@Burt CrackerJack: Free electric bus services bus services might work.
@Edmund Murphy: Or free everything for Illegal Immigrants and for all those who never work, oh wait a minute, there’s nothing new there.
@Burt CrackerJack: no because that costs money. Nationalising broadband would cost very little and stop money leaving the country as many of the telecoms companies are not British owned. It would keep more money circulating in the UK. Same for trains- the French own a huge chunk of British rail services and charge the Brits more than they charge French people.
@Burt CrackerJack: the Labour Party proposal you mean? Not Corbyns.
@Peter McGlynn: He’s their leader.
@SC: Cost very Little? Have you seen the shambles for the estimates in the Republic of Ireland? The British Population is 10 times the size too.
@Burt CrackerJack: try and spin it all you like the Labour Party is more democratic than the tories – and their manifesto is actually costed. Tories found out at last election.
@Peter McGlynn: The Labour Party has become a Middle Class pick and mix basket case of an institution, it’s killing socialism rather than winning supporters because it’s old integrity and the decent principles of old left wing politics have been ransacked and hijacked disgracefully by crackpot loonies like the ‘Woke’ and extinction rebellion lot who hate Western Values and prefer anarchy, Corbyn is a self confessed Brexiteer who stands with the remainers, what a joke, in good old fashioned Irish speak, they don’t know their A*se from their Elbow.
@Burt CrackerJack: of course Corbyn is a Brexiteer. He’s a socialist. The EU is a neoliberal organisation. One of the weird idiosyncrasies of Brexit is the Torys against an organisation that should not only be there best pal ideologically but was actually created by their queen – Thatcher. Nuts.
Corbyn is stuck. He doesn’t like the EU but also knows leaving it will damage the least well of most. AND he has to get elected to put his policies in place and he cant out-Brexit Farage and Johnson.
So he’s caught between a rock and a hard place. And every party in that country is currently a basket case.
At least Labour haven’t inflicted decades of austerity destroying the fabric of society for the less well off.
@Shazam37:
It’s a far different Labour Party to Tony Blairs centrist version of Labour and Socialism called ‘New Labour’ in the mid 90’s.
Corbyn though who Undoubtedly has personal integrity in relation to the working classes and non working classes, too mind, or his intelligence but he is basically an authoritarian Communist who probably has more in common with non democratic regimes, A Sympathiser of The IRA and Hamas being an example.
The EU If it is a non Democratic authority is no different to his political ethics in principle, its just not the type of non democratic authority he aspires too.
Buying votes communist style
It’s not like a socialist to promise free stuff!
@Mejo: An early socialist slogan was if you don’t work you don’t eat. The notion some people have that socialism encourages laziness or that people got free stuff in socialism is ridiculous. Everyone worked. You partly got paid in amenities rather than cash.
To be fair national free broadband is a good idea it would just be incredibly expensive. But then the huge creature increase in e-commerce would pay for that if Amazon and the like payed tax.
@Edmund Murphy: economic not creature. Though economics is a strange beast.
@Edmund Murphy: incredibly expensive and providing very bad service as do all public sector monopolies
@Edmund Murphy: Very expensive but Theresa may found multiple billions behind the back of the couch for the completely unnecessary Trident, so it doesn’t sound too far fetched.
Not really free if it’s going to cost anywhere between 15 and 100 billion, is it?
Crazy lefties strike again. Boris is going to win in a landslide imo. Roll on Brexit
@John: you couldn’t be more wrong, it’ll be a hung parliament absolutely guaranteed
@John: Boris doesn’t even know how many kids he has!
I hope he gets elected, New ideas and less emphasis on big business making huge profits has to be a good thing.
@Hippocampus:
The problem is that big business will probably relocate elsewhere, leaving the UK with higher unemployment and with a reduced tax take and fewer workers to pay for it.
Best of luck Mr Corbyn
He needs to be more realistic. Free visa applications for UK citizens looking to travel in the EU after they crash out.
@Peter Cavey: No thanks Peter. Brexit means Brexit.
I wonder how would Labour pay for the Broadband if some of the big companies pull out of the UK?? Someone mentioned above that the estimated cost is £20Billon.
@Liam Higgins: BT estimate £100bn
And they’re going to pay for it by taxing the rich and the corporations and the Jews. Oops.
The laughs are on us, our glorious leaders are about to spend 1 BILLION of taxpayers money to fund a private broadband system, claiming it’s a human right, meanwhile the Joe and Josephine public, their kids and parents can whistle if they need healthcare in the public system
Just won the 18, 19 years old voter when your that age you the world as if it owes you a living
He should promise drink driving permits for farmers
I’d vote for the jackass for free internet ✌✌✌Ireland from I can see is crumbling around us and I’m seeing it from very on the ground perspective
Yay – free stuff!
When do we all get a free house?
@The Great Unwashed: Sure haven’t you got a caravan?
@Ciaran:
The sharpness of your wit astonishes me.
@The Great Unwashed: No such thing as a free house.
@Shazam37:
Exactly. Someone (the taxpayer) has to pay for it.
apparently someone costed it at 20billion
Every home? Really? What a joke of a statement.
Sure thing Jeremy
Y
have your say