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TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR has rejoined the medical register as a doctor to offer his services to the HSE during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He is due to work one session a week for the HSE in an area suited to his qualifications.
“Dr Varadkar rejoined the Medical Register last month. He has offered his services to the HSE for one session a week in areas that are within his scope of practice,” a government spokesperson confirmed to TheJournal.ie.
“Many of his family and friends are working in the health service. He wanted to help out even in a small way.”
Varadkar rejoined the Medical Council register last month, the Irish Times first reported this evening.
He is registered under Dr Leo Eric Varadkar and first joined the register in July 2004.
Prior to his career in politics, the Taoiseach studied medicine and worked as a doctor for a number of years.
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Fair play leo! Leading by example. Stay safe , you are needed!
@Mark Murphy: indeed. When you look at the leaders on either side of us, he is doing a fantastic job. Fair dues to him.
@Whoswho: I notice your whiny comment hasn’t picked up a whole lot of likes !!
@Whoswho: lol…I voted for them, so I’m dumb am I? I’ll be the bigger man here and not retaliate , I was reared a bit better than your lot. And by the way ‘he’ is your leader like it or not. Be a long time waiting for your ‘she’ to lead.
@Whoswho:stay classy
@Whoswho: we give out that people and politicians are elitist and don’t listen to ordinary people. Yet here is case and point of a selfless, welcome act and it’s a spin exercise.
@Mark Murphy: Well considering what he done as minister of health I’m not expecting much
@Shane Russell: The chap was in power for 5 years and he did NOTHING for the working people of Ireland! Anything he does know is spin to try and fool the Irish people. He has a PR team that is paid for by the Irish taxpayer. He has let REIT’S purchase houses instead of providing for the Irish people. He has always looked after bug business. His hero is Margaret Thatcher. Enough said!
@Whoswho: what are you doing yourself to help out?
@Whoswho: Jesus, you are a sad case, the man is a doctor, anyone who can help in the hospitals should help, including the Taoiseach. Politics has nothing to do with it. Michael Martin will be the next Taoiseach, so what has Leo to gain. I don’t often get cross and comment here, but you take the biscuit.
@Whoswho: ah the shinners have a voice!!
@Mark Murphy: show pony. Should concentrate on job he has or is he trying tell us Michael stepping up to the pedestal. Can’t stay in background.
@Whoswho: he has actually done more then enough. Yes we have homeless and the health needs improvement but in overall the economy has jumped higher then ever, he reduced unemployment to all time low, he increased the gdp by 100B. The holes will never be closed and as soon as one is closed another will open. If you think that your “Mary Lou” will have a magic button to fix everything you are so mistaken. I voted for him because as a working class family I am far better then I have ever been but you can call me whatever pleases your ego, I won’t call you anything for voting SF because that’s the whole point of having a free vote. But what makes you an idiot is not your vote for SF but it’s your negativity on such a positive news.
Fair playnto Leo for showing example,and to Dr Trump for advising people to take untested medication rather than ventalation
@Mark Murphy: wanting votes. Simple
@Whoswho: and one other thing. By being such an a h ole to try putting down someone’s good will and being such a great leader when the country needs it the most, does your party no favors. In fact whilst you try to do the right thing for your party ( in your narrowed mind ) all your doing is letting other SIN FEIN voters here what kind of people voted that party and the next time there is elections which will be very soon they won’t be getting more then 20 seats, I will bet you of that. Only for the very reason because of people like you.
@Laro Alba: Sorry, please explain to all the readers how a Taoiseach can increase the GDP of a country by €100bn?? Is he making decisions at board level for Google, Facebook?
@Whoswho: does a pointless comment like this make you feel good? Add some value.
@Mark Murphy: i suggested he do this on facebook rather than complain about Mary Lou taking a few days to respond while she did her best to take care of her kids going to the same school with the first corona virus case looks like leo has taking a small peice if advice here is some more advice leo double nurses and doctors pay during this they need heros pay for their work
@Whoswho: Did you ever hear of economic planning??
@Whoswho: Oh! It didn’t take the Shinners and other lefties to come out.
@Mark Murphy:
There’s an election in the air.
@Whoswho: Irish GDP was 290b when he took over and it’s now at 390b. Google, Facebook and all those could very easily have gone to France/Germany or anywhere in mainland Europe but instead they are here and it’s not without credit to the government. I’m not saying they have done everything right, yes they screwed up with so many homeless and by not investing more in the public healthcare. But like I said not a single government is going to just have a magic button and fix all the problems. Once one is closed another one will open and there always needs to be a balance on the investment. You cant expect any government to just build 5000 homes and accommodate 10000 homeless with a click of a finger cos I will go homeless too for few months if I expect to get a free house.
@Whoswho: do you realise what would happen to us as a country if let’s say we got Mary into the government and she build houses for the 10000 homeless in 6 months. The next 6 months another 10000 will go homeless expecting houses on top of all the middle eastern refugees heading for the island expecting free houses. There needs to be a balance because you can’t have people expecting everything for free. What needs to be done is provisioning centers for homeless where they get food and a bed to sleep with rehabilitation centers to get rid of their addictions. But you can’t just expect to build houses for free because that will just create a lot of more homeless expecting free houses and the hard working people to pay for that.
@Laro Alba: enough of that talking sense this is the journal comments section,
@Laro Alba: I wouldn’t bother getting annoyed, you can’t reason with a brick.
@Whoswho: you are sad.
@Mark Murphy: “I was reared a bit better than you’re lot”. If you were reared that well you wouldn’t make comments like that.
@Laro Alba: we have homeless and health problems and we had them before Leo but they have gotten considerably worse under Fine Gael. You don’t have to completely ignore one to improve the economy.
@Mark Murphy: Great sure he is getting ready to hand over the Job of Taoiseach
to John Delaney
@Mark Murphy: for the most part I do agree that his heart is in the right place but this is utter nonsense. He’s not going to magically have all this new knowledge and insight on the pandemic, purely by re-registering as a doctor, and he already has a very important job as the leader of the nation, for now. It’s a PR exercise.
@Whoswho:If Leo singlehandedly developed a vaccine your fellow travelers would say it was just spin . Fair play to him ,he’s not just talking the talk but walking the walk.
@Matthew O’Kane ☘️✊: Mary lu tried to spin airtime out of going to the same school as one of the first cases. Poor (me) Mary
@David Carolan: your wanting likes. Simples
@Brian Hunt: able to read from a teleprompter all be himself, I’m sure the areas of society he’s been ignoring the last few years he’ll state ti pay attention going forward.
@IRL77: Shhhhh….. Can’t hear anything …
@Whoswho: Moan
@Peter Hughes: your not expecting much who are you and who cares
@Whoswho: Dimwit.
@Shane Russell: it clearly is a spin exercise. How long has it been since he practised? How much use will he actually be? He’ll be more of a hinderance to the other staff than anything asking questions.
@Whoswho: you on the dole ya whiney trout?
@Mark Murphy: lets be honest here. He will be more of a hindrance to medics who are up to their eyes. He should concentrate on job he paid to do. Forget about the show pony PR.
@Mark Murphy: One word, cringeworthy.
@Dan McAleer: he will be a phone consultant which is needed to screen people concerned about covid symptoms- and before you pooh pooh that , he will be taking pressure off doctors who have been currently practicing to do more hands on work. I’m no fan of Leo’s politics, but i cannot knock this
@Roger Dawson: Yes Roger, John Delaney was on the gravy train in the time of FFG
Expenses for double jobbing TD’s the phantom voters in Dail Eireann.Collusion in the Garda and compensation claims from Swings
@Mark Murphy:
Me armpits are on fire. He re registered as a GP, to work one day a week and giving advice on phone in’s. Sure is that not what he does for the day job.
@Laro Alba: A few facts for you:
:Re GDP: look up ‘leprechaun economics’&GDP distorted by increased Corporation tax receipts as some loopholes closed in recent years.There were new OECD rules on taxing digital assets which will have more impact on Ireland as Ireland European hub for many multinationals.
:Irish Consultants Association last September said there was 1.1m people on combined hospital waiting lists and there was dangerous overcrowding in hospitals with 118367 people on trolleys last year.There was a recruitment freeze despite the ongoing health emergency which was only lifted when coronavirus pandemic hit Ireland.According to HSE Prospectus Report (published before FG came to power in 2011)the number of critical care beds should be increased to 579 by 2020 but by end of last year there were only 255 critical care beds!
: Ireland has the 3rd highest level of debt per capita in the world after Japan and US!
: Ireland , unlike many other European countries,only uses 3 Catergories of ETHOS typology re homelessness and excludes 10 Catergories!
:Generalising homeless as addicts is a disgrace! Homeless families with children increased by shocking 605% from 2011-sept 2019& homeless children in family units increased by shocking 677.7% between 2012-sept 2019.
: Before this coronavirus pandemic Ireland had ongoing National emergencies in homelessness, housing and health.
:There are no free houses!RTE’s George Lee said that by 2022 the cost of HAP could be nearly €2Bn a year(note: working people get HAP too)to private landlords so it makes more sense to increase the social and public housing stock and make it genuinely affordable,rents would be paid and also the increased social housing stock would be long term State assets!
Unfortunately Threshold reported today that they are getting treble the phone calls from renters worried about losing their private rented accommodation.
@Dave Harris: screening people on the phone? Do you need to be a medical doctor to do that? Im sure most of us now know what the symptoms are and what to do in each scenario.
Is a Doctor really necessary to do that? A nuse could easily perform such a task.
I love the way Varadkar fans say they arent fans before singing his praises. The fella who has driven thousands of healthcare workers abroad in his time as Taoisech. A man who has overseen the current state of the HSE.
Like him or not, he’s doing his best and he’s setting a great example. Compare that to other world leaders and we realise how lucky we are.
@Finn Ruari: Christ you people are so easily mugged off….this the same guy who ran the health service into the ground as minister for health is now a saviour lol….optics, spin and carefully created nonsense. I deal with facts and numbers and will judge him and his party on what they have done to this country…and folks if you think this act is worthy of forgetting all that then all I can say is you deserve every drop of it.
@Finn Ruari: Other world leaders are paying 80% of staff income, have provided houses for their citizens when they were in power, not privatised their bus routes, not taken €5m a year from their state to pay for PR. That’s €5m that should have been spent on hospitals, additional nurses, schools!! However no, it’s being spent to try and make him look good as his decisions have been all in favour of big business!!
@Peter Hughes: It’s killing you, isn’t it? Not only are the current government doing a superb job at managing this crisis compared to their peers around the world, but now they’re actually taking time out from their job of leading the country to go to the front lines in their spare time and risk their life.
I can only imaging the frothing of the mouth if Mary Lou donned her balaclava and started piecing together pipe bombs in her spare time, what a hero.
You fooled many as an alternative at the last election, but the colours have shined through brightly since and to use an apt metaphor we really dodged a bullet.
It’s a shame death and suffering is so critical in your political model.
@Whoswho: You are a great whinger.
@Sean Fahey: It’s the sacrifice of our health staff and people that are the heroes here not politicians, maybe you should think of the human cost of the policies of this party and FF in the past….so easily led down the garden path again….I would not vote SF if they were the last party on earth lol….but I will call out the horrific governance in the past of both FF and FG and the damage and lives lost in the process ….
@Sean Fahey: According to article:’Taoiseach re-registers as a doctor to help tackle coronavirus’,on breaking news he will be conducting phone consultations with patients and this article says ‘one session a week’& that’s good.
It wouldn’t be wise for the present Taoiseach to actually work on the frontline in hospital because if he did get the virus like over 1000 frontline staff then his contacts in Government, special sub -committee & NPHET, weekly meetings with all the other political party leaders,their health spokespersons,their medical expert advisors ,etc would have to self isolate for 2 weeks while awaiting their test results.
Your comments about Mary Lou,who has been ill for 2 weeks are disgusting.She and other party leaders, their health spokespersons, Government and their medical expert advisors and other experts have been meeting regularly every week and all have input!
@Sean Fahey: risk his life? He will be answering the phones…. ehhh dont say risking his life, as plenty of nurses and doctors are, when he will clearly not be doing that.
@Peter Hughes: what have you done for the common good during this crisis?
@Peter Hughes: sad comment
@Nuala Mc Namara: How boring.
@Finn Ruari: I’d have him over Bojo or Trump any day.
@Nuala Mc Namara: do we actually have over 1000 healthcare workers with the virus or you are just making that up?
@Whoswho: so other world leaders are paying 80% of wages, that’s good of them .
Unfortunately here what ever we pay will have to be repaid by the working taxpayer.
@Laro Alba: Journal article:’50 clusters of Convid-19 identified in nursing homes,new health data shows’:This was research by Health Protection Surveillance Centre(HPSC) which gave data up to April 2nd.Their data showed that 1084 healthcare workers had the virus!!
I don’t make things up ,I look at the facts and research!
@David Grey: correct, our tax exiles who are usually limited to spending only 183 days in Ireland, will be allowed to remain longer this year, without taxation consequences, if they can prove to Revenue they were forced to stay because of the coronavirus.
@Aidan: Really setting the bar high there lol
@Aidan: you’ve set a horribly low benchmark there.
@Whoswho: 5m?? Seriously??. I’d spend that on a decent night out.
@Sean Fahey: troll
@Sam Greene: can you hear me now lol
@Peter Hughes: u would think he had enough to do running the country
Fair play to him
@Whoswho: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
@Whoswho: no fan of Leo/FG. Think they’ve made plenty of mistakes dealing with this but Jebus that’s going overboard kid. Tone it down at least an ickle bit.
@Whoswho: I’m not a fan of privatizing bus routes, but just how does privatizing bus routes rob people of their front gardens?
@Mikhail Ramendik: As part of the Busconnects, their doing a CPO to purchase front gardens of peoples homes that are en route. Their also sawing down historic trees on the roads. All at a time, when people are doing everything they can to help the environment
@Graham Manning: Overboard – He is the one that is making these decisions not me. And this is before the Austerity that there planning on bringing in to pay for all this. If you thought the last austerity was bad, you ain’t seen nothing yet. FFG at the helm! Cannot be trusted
@Whoswho: you are ranting and raving like this for weeks. You must have severe anger management issues. You fail to see good in anybody or what they do. Do some deep breathing exercises and try to engage your brain before acting. Stay safe
@John Byrne: Haha, I haven’t been on here in weeks my friend
@Whoswho: dont forget the homeless!…. someone please think of the homeless!!!!!!
@Billy Davies: It’s not funny making a nasty joke about the homeless people, families and children!
@Whoswho: calm down pal you’re going to have a stroke
@Pat Joffre: wouldn’t it be funny if whoswho got Corona and Leo was the doctor assigned! My money will be on the treatment will be accepted.. !
@Whoswho: regardless of what u think of Leo he’s worth a 1000 of you and more for his public works.
@Pat Joffre: Haha, by telling people to think of previous decisions and not the spin?
@commoner: What has he done nothing he gets handed a script to read and his public works he has done nothing for the public even when he was health minster this is just a PR stunt
@Whoswho: You can tell Mary Lou to come out now, the game of hide and seek is over. She can volunteer to push the cake trolley around the wards.
@Over the top: Leo is answering phones… not treating patients, he wont be on the front line so calm down.
@Sam Greene: pity
Credit where credits due, fair play to him!
@Gerard Anthony McBride: fair play for running the country into the ground?
Good on him .
@Charlie: The health staff are still waiting for PPE and Leo is doing more Spin. I pity the staff with this FG leader not caring about them
Was never a fan of his but he’s leading by example….. look across the sea in both directions however and you can see just emptyness
@Laughable: To be fair you wouldn’t want either of those two going anywhere near a vulnerable patient. That said fair play to Leo. Nothing compares to the experience of actually seeing things on the ground. This could prove incredibly worthwhile.
Clap hands emoji.
@David Clarke: why can’t we use emojis here??
@Lochlainn Marcus: I can only imagine a certain AnnaXx who used to comment here frequently would have had great fun with a few specific emojis.
Fair play Leo
Now if only Micheál Martin would go back teaching.
Trump won’t wear a mask but Leo hopefully will. Fair play to him.
Fair play to him, leading by example.
Now that’s leadership. Fair Play.
Will be respected for this move .
Actions needed more than self indulgent, self serving critical comment
@Philip Howlin: this is clearly a self indulgent act.
How long has it been since he actually worked as a Doctor? He’ll be getting in everyones way and annoying them asking questions.
Its all about political point scoring after his performance in the last election.
@Dan McAleer: Sometimes its not about what you as an individual can achieve but how you can inspire others. So rather than knocking it, just take it at face value and galvanise your own resolve to do your bit to stop the spread.
A world leader leading by example! Well done taoiseach!
Super and fair play to him I wonder is Mary going to be a nurse.
@Andy Harding: or a doctor?
Fair play. Not a fan of FG by any means, but I am proud to be Irish during this tough time. We’ve been shown leadership. On one side of the country we have a head of government playing scientific experiments and the other side of us we had someone claiming it was a hoax from an opposing political party. Ireland, Germany, Portugal too (their doing great work regarding mental health of people during this time too) to name a few European countries that are really trying.
My thoughts to Italy and Spain and that they cope with this well.
@thenewguy: hello FG bot
Think of the photo opportunities, all spin and no substance.
@John Smith: How is this “no substance”? He’s literally work as doctor. I seriously doubt you know what “substance” means in the context you’re trying to use it in.
@John Smith: You tell him that if you need his help
@Gerard Anthony McBride: He will dress up as a doctor for the photos, he won’t really work as one. So no substance just a lot of hot air.
Does that explain substance to you or do you need a dictionary?
@Coco86: thats how you silence a begruder!
@John Smith: He’s not dressing up as anything. He’s providing phone consultations for 8 hours a week. Try actually reading the article.
@Coco86: If you really think that he will help anyone you are as delusional as the rest of the bots in FG’s bot army.
@John Smith: poor John is very angry at the world
@John Smith: You are despicable.
@John Smith:
Bingo, another hurler on the ditch. Thats 2 now. Anymore?
Surely the shinner trolls can do better than this??
@John Drake – Satirical Author: I’m not the one using the crisis to further my political career.
@John Smith: if fairness you’re right – it would be irresponsible of him to double-job. But it is a nice jesture all the same.
@Pat Joffre: and John loves the shinners, you can tell.
@Gerard Anthony McBride: No substance as in meaningless,doesn’t make an iota of difference.Won’t save lives,won’t cost lives,just nonsense PR excercise.
@Gerard Anthony McBride: he is working 1vshift a week in an area most suited to his skills. He will not be frontline unless there is a camera there.
@John Smith: I’ll just leave this here
https://twitter.com/ELLOBO142/status/1255060556496674816?s=09
Hon Leo ya legend ya
Now that’s what you call leadership.
He’s offering telephone consultation … some front line worker he will be !!!
@Tommy Byrne:
What are you doing Tommy to help out?
@Tommy Byrne: where does it say that it’s a telephone session???? Oh it doesn’t, does it?
@Tommy Byrne: well done. First in with the negativity…
@Tommy Byrne: He’s leading the country. He can hardly do a few shifts in a hospital.
@The Exhibition Guy – Stephan Murtagh: https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/taoiseach-re-registers-as-a-doctor-to-help-tackle-coronavirus-crisis-992294.html
@Tommy Byrne: If he worked 7 shifts a week. Youd complain that he should be leading the country and not working.
@Billydog: exactly….
@Tommy Byrne: After not being registered for 5 years what do you suggest he do? Become an ICU consultant and intubate patients?
@Tommy Byrne: it’s easy to sit back and judge . How are you playing you’re part?
@Tommy Byrne: do you want someone out of practise on the frontline?
@Tommy Byrne: well fair play to him for doing that. I presume that has to be done by a doctor. He , in turn can free that doctor to work with patients. You had to look for the negative
@Tommy Byrne: No idea how you would know that, but even if true wouldn’t it mean he’s freeing up another doctor or allowing them some down time ?. SF voter here…. Fair play, Dr.Varadkar.
@Tommy Byrne: Sitting on your arse drinking cans yourself?
@Tommy Byrne: S*ag off Tommy Byrne. He’s doing a great job. He’s not shirking his responsibilities. Oh, by the way, where are Mary-Loooooo and that Doherty fellow ???
@Tommy Byrne: telephone consultation is equally as important in this situation …… Every little helps …. I’ve volunteered myself too…. I hope you are doing your bit too
@Billydog: every journal article needs it’s begruder. Tommys done his bit.
@Tommy Byrne:
You are are barely even an excuse for a human being. When you see people doing the right thing, is it a painful reminder of your own inadequacies?
@Billy Davies: this is nothing more than a photo opportunity and something for propaganda team to spin… I’d be surprised if he even answers 1 call
@Tommy Byrne: what are you doing tell us ?
@Mike Daly: I’m still working… not anything important with health care but still keeping the country going…, what are you doing ??
@Dominic Hearns: Pearse’s wife re-registered as a nurse weeks ago actually as did Senator Maire Devine!
Mary Lou,her health spokesperson,all the party leaders and their health spokespersons, Government,their medical expert advisors and other experts have been meeting regularly every week.
Mary Lou had been ill for the past 2 weeks.
@Tommy Byrne: fair play for the link tommy and obviously that wasn’t made clear from the article so thanks for sharing. Still think fair play to him…at least he is playing some part unlike that moron trump.
@Mike Daly: Don’t worry Tommy isn’t real no page available just another shinnerbot
@Ossi Fritsche: very much real… just prefer my privacy !!
@Nuala Mc Namara: I believe politicans are trying to do their best during this difficult time,they have families and could have family members in vulnerable catergories too,this coronavirus pandemic is affecting all of society and livelihoods.We’re all in this together!
@Nuala Mc Namara: That’s looking at it objectively,I like certain politicans in all political parties even if I disagree with some politcal party policies!
@The Exhibition Guy – Stephan Murtagh: regardless… it’s still a spin
@The Exhibition Guy – Stephan Murtagh: regardless… it’s still a spin
@Mark Broderick: Ah Mark that’s your communist side coming out!!!! And you of private schooling….ha ha!!
At least he is trying to do something unlike the US tango man…
@Tommy Byrne: my local health centre are only doing video/phone calls to avoid spread in the waiting areas now.. this is for all issues.
@Ricky: isnt that what Doctors do?
@Tommy Byrne: A lot of people on here not happy with you,most claim to be volunteers who like to ask “what are you doing yourself”?
A lot of people on their high horse tonight.
Like him or not…….ye’ve to give him kudos….. fair play indeed lad
Super hero
No matter what move this man makes someone will find fault. I understand that everyone is really frustrated and afraid and sick of this whole situation and so are looking for someone to blame but I wouldn’t have either of his roles right now for anyone’s money. And even if he is going to work as telephone consultancy as someone suggested, does anyone know how hard that would be? Or how beneficial it is to have someone qualified on the other end of the phone listening? I didn’t vote for him, I know he has flaws, but I think he’s doing the best he can and it’s a lot better than most.
Fair play. All hands to the pump.
In times of true hardship you see true leaders. Not those best at party politics but those best to lead!
Fair play to him. More than what trump is doing anyways
@Francy o loughlin: a hamster would be more use than Trump.
Brilliant impact and incredible example
Bots out in force
@Seomra Ban:
Wait until they sober up, they’ll be all over thus!
@Seomra Ban: even worse they are shinnerbots!
Respect!
Like him or not…….ye’ve to give him kudos….. fair play indeed lad
As much as I dislike him,
Fair play to him!
If you have skills put your shoulder to the wheel.
Like it or not, I count ourselves lucky to have a leader with a medical background. We are fantastic work with the circumstances given. I know there is people in here with all the answers that will disagree.
Stay healthy Leo!
Has there been an update on today’s numbers, or did they not mention it on the news? Fair play to Leo, I wasn’t a fan of his but he’s doing a better job than both our neighbours are anyway.
@Freda Hanratty: For some reason we’re nearly always the last in europe to release\report numbers…I’m sure they’ll get around to it
I’d say it’s a public relations move.
@Rory Mackle: would you Rory? Well that’s nice to hear.
@#JUSTICE4NOEL: and you think you’re so clever whatever your name is
@Rory Mackle: or a Doctor honouring the oath to “first do no harm”
@Rory Mackle: Why is a PR move a bad thing? He’s getting out there doing his bit. Will this hinder the fight against Covid-19 in any way?
@John Bracken: who’s going to lead the country while he’s being a doctor, I’d say he’d have a bit of retraining to do as well , he’d probably just be in the way.
@Ajax Penumbra: because he has become deskilled and I would imagine being caretaker Taoiseach is a full time job
@Rory Mackle: He has become deskilled? You know this for a fact? Or are you just pulling unintelligible opinion out of a rear-facing orifice? …and you “imagine” caretaker Taoiseach is a full time job? I’d say it is! But there’s plenty of people who hold down more than one full-time job in this country to make ends meet— why berate the Taoiseach for doing any different?
@Rory Mackle: you’re a clown!
@Ajax Penumbra: just because you’re a bit slow, he hasn’t practiced medicine in 10 years so obviously he’s become deskilled
@Rory Mackle: who cares what you think!
@Jun Stone: you do
@Rory Mackle: Open another can and relax your cacks.
Fair play Leo, made of sterner stuff.
Bring on a second election when this is over you’ll sweep the boards.
@Hector Son: I thought he was going to answer the phone not sweep the boards
@Hector Son: I sincerely hope so, we don’t want FF or The shiners in power who will ruin the country like before. OK, I know mistakes were made with FFG but FG are more honest and hopefully FG would learn by those mistakes made.
More Pr bull
@Tom o brien: You better be working in the ICU Tom. Otherwise thank your nurses and doctors and stay home.
I’m a die hard skeptic of any politician but if he goes and plays his part I tip my hat!
Propaganda
@Lapsy Pa: Is it ever possible to please some people. If you dont give a hand, you’re accused of doing nothing and if you do, it’s a PR stunt. Shinnes and logic dont co exist
@#JUSTICE4NOEL: should be too busy being Taoiseach in all fairness
@Lapsy Pa: who ya calling a shine ya muppet ?
@Lapsy Pa: *shinner. Just speaking in general here. Hes doing his part l, I dont know why people begrudge that.
@#JUSTICE4NOEL: he’s running the country, not a general practice !
Hahahahaha, this is hilarious. We all know Leo won’t be let near any patient. But Michéal Martin must be furious. His one shot at being Taoiseach is slipping away…
Is he getting paid yeah sure he is not like the young trainee nurses whom they promise would be payed and have now refused the same nurses no headline about that journal.
@Derek Richardson:
Because you just made this up.
@Derek Richardson: Rubbish. They are being paid.
@For Goodness Sake: I know a nurse who got a letter yesterday saying they will not be payed and that includes travel cost as well
Not a fan of him or his party but an amazing selfless act fair play to him hope he stays safe
@James Delaney: he will be answering phones. I’m sure he’ll be just fine.
@Sam Greene: I’m listening
Pearse Doherty’s wife also returning to work as nurse last month. and senator Marie Devine has also returning as nurse.
Great to see them leading from the front.
@Peter McGlynn: go to bed u clown, there’s no comparison, did u ever see a Shinner doing anything good for country?
@john gavin: Its absolutely amazing all the blueshirt bots on here idolizing Leo and now calling for an election. This the same Leo who has ravaged the HSE, treated nurses disgracefully, thousands on waiting lists and trollies. Sorry I’m not falling for this the nurses, doctors and all hospital staff deserve better than a PR stunt.
How about all the student nurses ?
No pay !
Come on Journal. Fair play , alot of student nurses …
@Willy Mc Entire: excellent point too
@Willy Mc Entire: They are will be paid but need to be set up on the payroll system. But you probably knew this before you commented.
@For Goodness Sake: Please post a link for said. It’s my understanding that Si and Lieo lied and they are not and won’t be paid. So either im misinformed or your telling FFG porkies .
Fair play Leo what other country has or can say there front man is going on the frontline. I didn’t vote FG in the last election but call a spade a spade.
@Breedge: hes not going to the front line. He’ll be answering phones, phone consultations. So calm down.
@Sam Greene: I will put you through now
Fair dues, but he obviously doesn’t expect to be in his Acting Taoiseach role for long, because doing any other work alongside it in these times is impossible.
This is good news only if it means he is resigning as Taoiseach.
@brendan fitzsimons:
Oh, grow up
WILL DO ANYTHING FOR A PHOTO SHOOT
@Pauline Fedigan: he particularly likes photos of himself on the phone
Never bother about political stuff, but this time I am proud of you Leo— being a prime minister of Ireland
I cannot believe the amount of people fawning over our fearless leader. This is a publicity stunt if ever I saw one. Holohan has more business on the front lines than Leo Varadkar, after all the HSE is who he actually works for. Leo is meant to be running the country until a new government is formed, and not a good job of it either as far as I can see, with leaving the rugby fans in despite cancellation, not telling people coming back from hotspots to self isolate at least and the latest one of forging ahead with getting goods from China despite the fact that other countries that had done so had issues with the goods.
My Taoiseach.
55 comments already in 15 minutes, you might think that some people knew in advance that this article was in the pipeline.
I wonder if we’re going see the same glut of comments, again today, in the minutes following the release of the daily numbers.
If this is what the much vaunted PR guy is getting paid for, you have to question the value.
Mind you, it does keep the story of the €200 million of Chinese garbage off the pages so for Leo and Simon I suppose that alone is worth what they’re, sorry we’re, paying him.
@Garry Coll:
Yes, a tribe of FG trolls lined up to shower almost inedntical praise on their Leader.
Not even subtle….
@brendan fitzsimons: and equally the same amount bashing him. Seems to me that people just point blank refuse to give credit where it’s due when it comes to either Simon Harris or Leo Varadkar.
@Aisleen Dowling: well said !
Was thinking the very same
@Garry Coll: Such clap trap!
@Aisleen Dowling: Credit where credit is due. Working ONE day a week when you’re a qualified doctor whose party have systemically destroyed the health system for the past decade and then exacerbating this crisis further by refusing to act fast enough during a global pandemic for fear of hurting the precious economy, not exactly awe inspiring stuff (I would be impressed if I thought this was anything other than a shallow PR stunt but we all know better)…but RTE will no doubt do several heart-wrenching puff pieces to make him look like the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa and Jesus all rolled into one.
That being said, IF he just gets stuck in no fanfare and helps out and we hear no more about our triumphant Leo whom we are all blessed to have as our benevolent overlord, no more tweets about him on the #frontline, no RTE specials, no soundbites about him being such a good ol’ boy, no front page news with him grinning ear to ear in his PPEs…well… then I’ll concede I was wrong, vote FG forever more and eat my boots.
@SJF: regardless of how he handled this, he was always going to get slated. Fact.
@Aisleen Dowling: Maybe it’s because of his poor performance both as minister for health and Taoiseach. Fact. One thinly veiled PR stunt does not undo a decade of harm.
@SJF: your opinion, of the which you are entitled to of course. I’m of the generation that remember the misgivings of FF more than those of FG – but still recognise the efforts FG made to attempt to improve things. They brought us out of a recession only to have a global virus to bring us right back into it. They’re doing what they can, that’s enough for me. And I’m delighted it’s not Mary Lou and co leading this whole thing.
He’s doing an excellent job in this crisis and once again leading from the front. Stay safe Leo.
@sean de paore: I think he willbe safe enough on the phone
Not that’s what a good leader does are you watching Trump
GOD HELP US ALL
And the PR wheel keeps spinning.
Well done Leo. Leading by example. Fair play
@Kieran O’ Callaghan: If he was really genuine about helping this wouldn’t have been publisised. Ask the nurses what they think of him.
Well done Leo and to those posting negative comments what are you doi g to help?
Must be deskilled at this stage. Years since he practised
Fair play Leo. That is real leadership and I’d say fairly unique in the world for a prime minister to do. No doubt the naysayers will still give out even though he is doing a very good thing!
What ever he is doing as a Doctor it frees up another Doctor to work on the Frontline and for that alone he should be applauded. Every Doctor, Every Nurse, Every Paramedic that can be freed up from doing mundane work to work in our hospitals is a bonus.
So if he is just doing phone consultations one day a week, brilliant.
i’d be impressed if I believed it was
A) out of any sort of sense of obligation rather than a cynical PR exercise and
B) if he and FF (whose combined parties have less than 44% of the vote) weren’t essentially giving the other almost 60% an ultimatum “let us back into power for another 5 years or we won’t cooperate” and using a global pandemic to try and pressure the greens and independents to prop them up.
I also feel like I need to say this because I’m sick of hearing what a “great job” Leo and Simon are doing – they are ding the bare minimum, too late and after overwhelming public pressure…We are only doing a great job when compared to Trump or Johnson who’s policies were “do nothing” up until very recently.
I have said a few negative things about leo , but I have to commend him for doing this . He dosent have to do it , so fairplay to him well done to all the Doctors and nursing staff . God bless
It’s nice to see he is following the example of Sinn Fein Senator Maire Deveney who reregistered to join the front line 2 weeks ago with no fanfare.
@Paul Flynn: Good on her – highly commendable action. But didn’t that story get published in the Irish Times on 15th March ?
Just hope he doesn’t try to get his doctor’s salary as well as his Taoiseach salary. No need to be greedy Leo.
@Christopher Mulrooney #WeAreStarfleet: Is that it?
This is a fine gael or stunt to win votes and popularity from idiots who dont know better
@Richard Doherty: and Richard here is doing what at our countries great time of need? I didn’t vote for him but give him or anyone playing their part right now credit. You probably spent your dole flying to Cheltenham.
@Richard Doherty: Every shift he works is one someone else doesn’t have to. Stunt or no stunt, every little helps…
@Richard Doherty: I would even go so far as to say coronavirus was a false flag for him to get more votes. *sarcasm alert *
@Richard Doherty: votes for the election?oh wait that over.playing the long game i suppose,baiting us for the next one..
@Richard Doherty: or a lad who is using his experience and background to help the hse and the country. Fill up your glass there since it’s always half empty
@Richard Doherty: well would much prefer to have an educated elected representative.
@Richard Doherty: Such a stupid comment?
@Richard Doherty: alas, there’s no vaccine for begrudgery.
@Richard Doherty: and your contribution to the effort is to slag people off who are trying to help aren’t you a great lar
@Martin McFly: such an irrational comment. Because the man doesn’t line up with your opinion? Should we all fall in line with what opinion is given to us and praise our supreme leader for his contribution? What are you doing to help?
PR stunt. RTÉ will just follow him around all day and he’ll be just posing for the cameras
@Patrick Monaghan: do cupid stunts like you ever give anybody even a small bit of credit
@john gorey: Credit where credit is due. Working ONE day a week when you’re a qualified doctor whose party have systemically destroyed the health system for the past decade and then exacerbating this crisis further by refusing to act fast enough during a global pandemic for fear of hurting the precious economy, not exactly awe inspiring stuff (I would be impressed if I thought this was anything other than a shallow PR stunt but we all know better)…but as @Patrick Monaghan has mentioned I’m sure RTE will do several heart-wrenching puff pieces to make him look like the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa and Jesus all rolled into one.
@SJF: are you just copying and pasting the same reply to people’s comments?
@john gorey credit for his phone ?
Next one will be “ oh i got spat at “ Simon Harris stunt
He may as well cause he’s a dreadful politician
A waste of PPE gear for a few PR photos FG have no shame
@Seamus Bridgeman: You have no class.
Look, this is a politician “leading by example”. Of course it’s a publicity thing, but a Taoiseach, even a caretaker one, is supposed to do publicity. It also might be insurance in case Mary Lou manages to form a government after all; he will be able, if he is out of Cabinet, to crank up to perhaps half-time – this will still let him sit in the Dáil when it meets.
It’s not a “great hero” thing. It’s not a “villain” thing. It’s… reasonable and decent and leave it at that. The man lost the election and deserved to lose it; he has also repeatedly shown himself a better leader than Boris Johnson, which is frankly a low bar.
PR stunt. RTÉ will just follow him around all day and he’ll be just posing for the cameras !!
Good to see him back on the tools again
Pity our minister for health doesn’t have any qualifications to help out also.
To medic friends told me today that the three main hospitals in Cork are empty. As commendable as this is, we need a leader at the moment, not another doctor!
@Carol Cunningham: Two
@Carol Cunningham: false news alert!!
@Carol Cunningham: looks like they’ve sorted out the waiting lists
Who are the 1000s of leo lovers, they have utterly ruined us, both medical incompetence and financially. The sound bite optics king and a media darling, am I living in a parallel world.
His next move a new Election based on Spin
The bots are out in force tonight. The spinners are on overtime. FG should be ashamed of themselves.
@Eddie Byrne: You mean the shinnerbots? Mary Lou Irish hide n seek champion 2020.
Oh he’s great how much money will he get paid for that some man me a#se
He’s doing stellar work in fairness, look at UK, France, SPAIN, Italy, Netherlands… it could be Ireland.
I’m no Fine Gael supporter, but well done to Leo. Doing what he can and setting an example
This is nothing more than a PR stunt. As minister for health and Harris/Dr Reilly and Harney spanning 18 years and look at the shambles of a health system we have. The People are dopey to fall for this trickery.
Get that man a cape and a Superman suit!!!
On one hand I applaud the effort but on the other think all his efforts should be focused on being the Taoiseach.
One shift a week……..pr stunt……but sheep will believe
@Mark Gough: the grooming has been gradual. It’s easy to steer when there’s fear and uncertainty…but fear doesn’t last and I don’t believe this eggy sh!t will work out well for our Leo.
People have real short memorys if they vote this crowd back in.. is everyone after forgetting the damage they done to every walk of life from the average joe for the past ten years by there greed. He had no interest in people on trolleys, no interest in giving the nurses what they earned but now he is a hero by answering the phones one day a week. No douth he get a wage out of it and don’t be suprised if he gets another pension out of it. It”s not just ireland at a crisis, its the world. He is doing a good job at the moment but it took for there party to do poorly with the people. Its now he wants to build up his ego.
Great stuff Leo … killing two birds with the one stone….helping the cause and winning the popularity contest with Micky Martin! I hope it’s a genuine effort at helping out rather than what it looks like….. why does everyone need to know this!!!!
Pity I don’t live in his constituency, for stepping up and putting his medical skills to use I’d definitely give him my number 1.
He wont be doing a 24 hr shift then.
Fair play
He will be doing triage over a phone
Damned If he did and damned if he didn’t…! If this was a shinner td, there would be praise.
If he found the cure to corona virus, people would still criticise.
What harm is it doing to anyone???
I knew all the flushirts would wet themselves on this one.. Hilarious
Supposedly the 1st thing he says to every new patient is “come with me if you want to live”
Nothing more than a publicity stunt, he had a job to do already, or like former TD Dara Murphy does he now think he can double job.? Because Dara Murphy’s double jobbing didn’t work out well.
I hope you paid the registration fees just like everyone else you called upon had too.
Wish they’d pay the student nurses as promised and stop this PR bullish!t…do they not get dizzy from this constant spinning!
Jesus the keyboard warriors are always on..Leo at least stepping up to help out..he didn’t do anything for 5yrs but at least he’s trying now..we need to stand together and help save lives not bitch and moan and put down people
@Michael Sherlock: Trying now because he lost an election. And if he really gave a shit he’d agree to a national unity government instead of stonewalling any and every proposal that doesn’t see his party in power for the next 5 years.
Isnt that just typical of the irish? He was the devil incarnate when he ran the country into the ground a d topped up what ff did with health crisis.. then he announces what a good boy he is and everybody is applauding him. Bear in mind he is not going to relinquish his Gp salary for the good of the nation. It’s good that he is trying to help fir a change
@Celia Murphy: As the polls have shown, again and again and again and again…we have short memories.
The journal moaners will be loving this :)
To soften everyone’s cough. He is working on day a week, taking phone calls.
First there was Dev,and now we have Lev.
Leo and his government have handled this crisis very well given the circumstances. There’s no point in denying that. But it doesn’t excuse their repeated screwing over of an entire generation of young Irish people during their decade in power, in particular their refusal to take the kind of drastic action they’re taking now in response to Coronavirus, in the face of the housing crisis which has destroyed tens of thousands of Irish peoples’ aspirations.
Indeed, the fact that they have been able to take hitherto unthinkable action to tackle this crisis but they were “unable” to do so to tackle the housing crisis, proves once again that the issue with regard to housing is indifference, not inability, with regard to doing anything about it.
I’ve heard stories about people only working one day a week so they can claim the 3 fiddy off the dole.
A while ago when nurses fighting for better conditions where was he ?.
It a publicity stunt because because testing not up to mark , PPE ordering a joke .
He be in the way with cameras following him around and one shift a week .
Do what you supposed to be doing and sort it out .
NOT GO LOOKING FOR F##CKING BROWNIE POINTS.
He’s going to be answering a phone.. Just saying.
Globalists all over the world must be wetting themselves at the thought of all currencies collapsing, leading to one world currency, government, religion. All under the power of lucifer who they already adore. Line up to be chipped for the digital currency. Then match dtraight to hell, which ye dont believe in anyway.
As in the financial crash , as in our world cup experience it is not the leadership that defines the Irish people but their herd instinct to do the right thing. Our recovery from the financial / banking crisis was down to external investors looking at the amazing behaviour of the Irish and deciding ” that’s where we’ll put our money” It will happen again but give us the credit not a spin doctor. Its Tony Holohan that’s running this show so brilliantly
This pandemic really is proving to be a huge PR opportunity to cement power. I personally know doctors and there is no shortage of them. The hospitals are empty. Their is a crisis in nursing homes and millions of livlihoods are being destroyed by a restrictions for a virus that is harmless to them. People are so easy to control. The comments are hilarious. Go Leo!
@John Joyce: Well said. Leo is a diva and an attention seeker. Using the ‘crisis’ as only he could. Shameful stuff.
Stop all you bloody moaners and go help as well in your community as we are .
Hope he’s a better doctor than he is Taoiseach
Very worrying, he is gay, he can spread AIDS help us here!
Very proud. Well done Leo
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