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SOCIAL PROTECTION MINISTER Leo Varadkar has said he’s relaxed about the expected leadership contest in Fine Gael.
To be more precise, he said he was “totally zen” about the issue, and that he would set out his plans for the future of the party once a vacancy arose.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said in advance of his March trip to Washington that he would address the issue of his leadership “conclusively” after he returned.
However, speaking in New York on that St Patrick’s Day trip – after his visit to the White House – he insisted there were other priorities he had to deal with.
During a press conference on a Canadian trip last week, Kenny admonished an Irish journalist for asking about his plans to step down, telling the Irish Examiner’s Daniel McConnell “I can’t believe actually that you have travelled this distance to ask a question like that”.
The Fine Gael parliamentary party meets again tonight, but sources in the party say it’s unlikely Kenny will make any major announcement.
Asked when he expected the Taoiseach to make his plans known, Varadkar said on Morning Ireland:
I haven’t a clue and I’m totally zen about it at this stage.
So the vacancy arises when it does, and in the meantime I’ll continue doing my job.
The Dublin TD’s main rival for the leadership, Housing Minister Simon Coveney, used similar language about the Taoiseach’s expected announcement back in March, telling Drivetime he was “pretty relaxed” about Kenny’s New York comments.
Summer campaign?
There’s been speculation the contest won’t begin until the start of the Dáil break – however, speaking at the weekend, according to the Irish Times, Coveney suggested the formal contest could begin before TDs rise for the summer.
One Fine Gael politician, speaking at Leinster House yesterday, said the Taoiseach would be wise to go soon before another scandal surfaces, in order to “go out on a high” and protect his legacy.
Asked about his campaigning efforts within the party today, Varadkar insisted he was “doing my day job pretty hard”, but conceded he was also shoring up support around the country.
He had been out meeting members and councillors, he said – as he always does. “Obviously there’s a new context to it now and I’m not going to pretend otherwise.”
A poll of the 73 members of the FG parliamentary party carried out by RTÉ’s Martina Fitzgerald this week found that 23 would support Varadkar. 13 said they would prefer Coveney.
Fine Gael elects its leader through an electoral college system with votes weighted according to a member’s status in the party.
The parliamentary party (TDs, Senators and MEPs) accounts for 65% of the overall vote, councillors have 10% of the vote and ordinary members have 25%. To be a candidate you must be nominated by at least a tenth of the parliamentary party.
- With reporting from Christina Finn
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Hardly news worthy
It is actually. It teaches us all a lesson. Investigate before jumping to conclusions. Great that the guy was apologetic and accepting of his error. We can all learn…….
Wouldn’t want to be in a rush
@JoeyJoeJoeJrShabadoo: guards coming to a train in 40 minutes is fast, they usually take over an hour from experience.
@Paul: why not let the train go on time and take the guy with the problem off the train to report the problem, it is hardly a murder. Why does everyone have to pay for one stupid guy on the train?
“BATHROOM” on a Irish rail train???
‘Jacks’ ‘Cazey’ ‘Loo” Yea But ” Bathroom”
What have I been missing????
Hold the passengers hostage until someone confesses to something, anything at all.
Couldn’t tell my left from my right lol
@Anastasia: one with the watch
@Tony Gordon: Seriously I ware it on the left hand
What a plonker.
“Anti-social behaviour”? Down with that sort of thing
Wonder if the incident happened at all. This train is regularly delayed due to this excuse. Probably like those bridges that get hit by trucks causing trains to be cancelled, yet the bridge is in perfect working order 20 minutes later..
@iMoan Brutal:
when a bridge gets struck it has to be inspected by engineers before it can be used .
@the truth: yes but most of the time there was no truck stuck or a truck anywhere near the bridge, just a train drive who slept in or taking an extended lunch. But recently they’ve stopped being stupid enough to name the location of the fake bridge hit
@Jayo Breathneach: Your right most probably true in some cases, but the amount of times its the reason on this specific route doesn’t add up, someones telling porkies either way
Why can’t the Guards pick up footage once train reaches its destination? Ridiculous delaying an entire train, all its passengers and rest of the network over a possibly stolen bag
Mis-carriage of justice ;)
No staff on board thought to check the carriages ? No need for the train to be delayed that long
@Suzie Sunshine: that would probably beagainst union rules
@James Brown: its making trains one person operated its company policy nothing to do with union rules
@the truth: Inter City trains have at least two or three staff on board.
@Neal, not Neil.: not all have trains out of heuston yes not all Services out of connolly have and the train in question is one man operated from connolly.
shouldn’t have left his luggage unattended in the first place
he said he seen a fella walking off with it so hes stupid and a lying hoor.
@the truth: that’s the problem with “eyewitnesses ” sure didn’t some Irish tourist in medugorje see Madeline Mccann and heard her speak in english it turned out she was some croatian kid without a word of English
@iMoan Brutal: The bridges are fine because they’ve been checked by engineers to be structurally sound before the trains pass over it again ya mong! Maybe Irish Rail should just ignore all safety procedures just to stop you from whining? Jesus……
Fake news turns out to be true….
Bathroom? Was he having a bath? Are we all Americans now? Does the word toilet offend people?
What an idiot seriously
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