Tag Archives: Leo Varadkar

This morning.

Today with Claire Byrne on RTÉ Radio One.

Giddy with power.

More restrictions may be needed before Christmas – Tánaiste (RTÉ)

Meanwhile…

Ratlicker!

Earlier: Mask Them

This guy.

Meanwhile…

Above from left: National Lead, Vaccination Programme, Damien McCallion HSE CEO Paul Reid; HSE COO Anne O’Connor; HSE CCO Dr Colm Henry; and HSE  speaking to media in Dr Steevens Hospital today on the weekly HSE operational update

This afternoon.

Dr Steevens’ Hospital, Dublin.

Via RTÉ

The HSE’s CCO Dr Colm Henry warned that unvacccinated people have no protection from the virus…

…However, Dr Henry said that vaccinations alone will not control case numbers and said that measures – particularly self- isolating with symptoms – and reducing contacts remain critical to reducing case numbers.

Dr Henry said that two weeks after receiving a booster dose, for adults — aged 50 or more — protection against symptomatic infection was 93% in those who originally had AstraZeneca and 94% in those who originally had Pfizer

However…

Oh.

HSE Weekly Briefing (RTE)

RollingNews

‘sup?

Let it out.

This morning/afternoon

The Tánaiste said that “climate-shaming” of farmers should stop.

There was an increase in agriculture emissions last year, but decrease the year before, Mr Varadkar said.

“We’re determined to bring farmers and rural communities with us when it comes to making this change,” he said.

“What we now have is certainty for farmers. We have a climate plan. They know exactly what they have been asked to do,” he said.

Varadkar: ‘We have a duty to do our part’ on climate (RTÉ)

Previously: Breaking Wind

RollingNews

Paddy Cosgrave on stage in Lisbon

Yesterday evening.

Lisbon, Portugal.

Via Independent.ie:

WEB Summit CEO Paddy Cosgrave invited Village Magazine editor Michael Smith along with Chay Bowes and John Tighe who were involved in publishing the story behind the magazine cover onto the stage and asked the crowd in the vast Altice Arena, which included senior Portuguese government officials and global technology chiefs, to give the men a round of applause.

The original article in the Village in 2020 triggered a criminal investigation into the now Tánaiste’s leaking of a document in April 2019 related to negotiations for a new General Practitioner contract.

Mr Cosgrave made the intervention as a precursor to the opening night’s main event, an interview with Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen.

Paddy Cosgrave brings Leo Varadkar leak controversy centre stage at Web Summit in Lisbon (Independent.ie)

This morning/afternoon.

“We’re looking at a number of options there obviously the Gardaí can be involved because it is a criminal offence not to enforce the pass system and we’re looking at involving the private security agency as well because they’re involved in regulating bouncers and people at the door…they might be part of the solution as well.

“But really what I would say to the industry is you’ve been closed for five, six hundred days. We want you to stay open.The best way to do that is by running a good house and enforcing the Covid pass.

“And to say to people as well, I’m going to be doing it you know, when going into bars and restaurants be saying ‘make sure you check my pass because if you’re not, you’re not running a safe shop‘.”

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar.

Leo Varadkar warns gardai and security companies could check if pubs are following Covid pass rules (Irish Mirror)

Earlier: Bizarre Counter Culture

Cobh Garda station; former minister Shane Ross

This morning.

Anthony Sheridan writes:

On September 23 last I submitted a complaint to Cobh Gardai regarding the alleged criminal leaking of information at Cabinet table discussions, specifically the Zappone appointment leak and accusations by Regina Doherty against former sports minister Shane Ross.

Over the years I have submitted a number of similar complaints regarding alleged political corruption.

I do not submit these complaints with the expectation that those suspected of corruption/criminality will face charges or even be investigated.

Irish citizens will be painfully aware that when it comes to political corruption the wheels of justice remain rusted to the tracks.

The principal reason for submitting the complaints is to substantiate my belief that we live in a dysfunctional democracy where the rich and powerful are allowed to operate outside the law.

I was therefore surprised and delighted to get a telephone call from Cobh Gardai requesting my presence in the station to make a statement regarding the complaint.

It would appear that somebody in Garda Headquarters has decided that the matter warrants investigation.

Could it be that those rusty wheels are beginning to move?

Anthony Sheridan is a freelance journalist and blogs at  Public Enquiry.

Previously: I’d Like To Make A Complaint

RollingNews/Geograph.ie

This morning.

Dublin Castle. Dublin 2

Tanaiste and Fine Gael Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar with Fianna Fail Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath and Minister of Justice, Social Protection, Community and Rural Development, Heather Humphreys speak to the media  following a cabinet meeting.

Via RTÉ:

The rules around employee rights changed during Covid-19 when, in March 2020, the Government introduced emergency measures in response to the pandemic.

It meant workers who were temporarily laid off or put on short time hours because of Covid-19 were not allowed to claim redundancy.

The department said this rule was introduced to “reduce the pressure on employers who were already struggling and to reduce the number of insolvencies and permanent job losses over the course of the pandemic”.

That rule will be suspended at the end of this month.

He said they estimate this redundancy scheme will cost between €30 to €130 million over the next three years as it will continue until 2024.

He said every candidate can receive up to €1,860 under this statutory redundancy.

He also said it is impossible to estimate how many redundancies will happen over the coming months following today’s decision.

Redundancy scheme to ensure workers ‘not out of pocket’ (RTÉ)

RollingNews

This afternoon.

Trim, county Meath.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney held a press confernce at the Fine Gael think-in alongside Tanaiste Leo Varadkar to discuss the Sinn Féin motion of no-confidence in him over his handing of the Katherine Zappone UN appointment

Via Irish Times

Simon Coveney has said he did not act arrogantly in handling the “fiasco” of the Katherine Zappone appointment, ahead of a motion of no confidence in him tomorrow.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs said he was “embarrassed” by it, but stuck by the appointment of the former minister to a UN special envoy role in principle, while apologising for how it was handled.

“The first thing I’d say is that I’m embarrassed about this. This has been a fiasco since the issue was brought to Cabinet and approved by Cabinet,” he said, but returned to his defence of his motivation for the appointment, which he said was “appropriate”.

…“My role in this this has contributed to this becoming a political story that it didn’t need to become,” he said. “It is a real frustration and quite frankly an embarrassment for me to be the centre of attention for all the wrong reasons.”

Pull yourself together, man.

Coveney denies ‘arrogance’ in handling of Zappone appointment (Irish Times)

Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews

This morning.

Via Irish Times Letters:

The Taoiseach’s partner Matthew Barrett raises legitimate concerns regarding the risks inherent in empowering members of the public to surveil the behaviour of others.

I am sure he is similarly perturbed by the promotion (in 2017, by Leo Varadkar, the then minister for social protection) of a telephone line and website to enable and encourage members of the public to report on the behaviour of their contemporaries.

Photographing Varadker (Irish Times Letters)

RollingNews/Twitter

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar at the Mighty Hoopla festival in south London

This morning.

Via Independent,ie

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar told the live events industry that the UK’s reopening is “definitely” not an example to follow, just days before travelling to London to attend a music festival.

Mr Varadkar has been caught up in fresh controversy as the Irish Independent can reveal that he warned the meeting about the high numbers of Covid deaths and hospitalisations in England and Scotland.

The meeting was held between the live events sector, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Arts and Culture Minister Catherine Martin and the Tánaiste last Monday.

Mr Varadkar said he “definitely” didn’t think that Britain was “an example to follow”

Tánaiste travelled to UK festival just days after calling event rules there a ‘bad example’ (Independent.ie)

Pic via Twitter

Meanwhile…

The mighty Hoopla 2021 line-up.