Tag Archives: Leo Varadkar

Leo Varadkar and Katherine Zappone

Meanwhile…

Meanwhile…

Fianna Fáil TD for Offaly and Foreign Affairs committee member Barry Cowen has said the Taoiseach needs to address the issue regarding the “content” of the texts shared yesterday by Leo Varadkar over a UN role for former minister Katherine Zappone.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, he said that while he accepts Micheál Martin has said that no texts should be deleted if it contains Government business, he believes he needs to “acknowledge” the content of those texts.

He said he did not allude to the “startling information” within the texts, “the amount of knowledge that was known by the parties involved” and that a contract and agreement had been reached with Ms Zappone while no one else was aware of it.

Taoiseach should ‘acknowledge’ content of Varadkar texts (RTÉ)

Yesterday: From The Piglet

RollingNews

 

This afternoon.

Watch LIVE as he leaks YOUR winning idea to a national newspaper.

FIGHT!

Ah here.

This afternoon.

Earlier: Blow Me Down With A Heather

From top: Aerial view of the Merrion Hotel; venue capacity covid guidelines

Oh.

This morning.

Further to Merriongate…

…TD Translator writes:

This is what the rules are. No way can that hotel hold 5000 outside on its patio. It’s clear Leo The Liar and friends broke the law!

Anyone?

Last night: “A Grubby Little Episode”

This morning.

On RTÉ Radio One.

Adrian Cummins, CEO of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, was asked by presenter Philip Boucher Hayes if Katherine Zappone’s party at the Merrion Hotel, attended by Tanaiste Leo Varadkar, violated covid guidelines.

Philip Boucher Hayes: “Would you, on the 21st of July, have said ‘yes’ to an event that was being sought for 50 people outdoors that wasn’t non-social meeting, training or educational programme essential to the operation of a business. Would you have said yes to that?”

Adrian Cummins: “Well a critical question here is was there food and beverage at the event. And I don’t know because I wasn’t at it. So I suppose, a cup of tea or sparkling water or a sandwich or whatever was offered at that event, then to my opinion, it doesn’t matter where it is on the island of Republic of Ireland, that is an outdoor hospitality event. And I think that’s where we have to…get all the facts on the table. What was the event? There must be a function sheet. And exactly how many people attended and was there food and beverage offered at the event?”

Anyone?

Meanwhile…

Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy, a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), at Leinster House this afternoon

This afternoon.

RollingNews

This afternoon.

Earlier…

Katherine Zappone hosted 50 people at a function in the Merrion Hotel, including Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, six days before Ms Zappone was appointed as a UN special envoy. The function contravened Fáilte Ireland guidelines for reopening hotels

This morning.

Via Independent.ie

Ms Zappone’s party in the luxury, five-star Dublin hotel was attended by friends, civil servants and politicians.

Around 50 guests were seated separately at tables of six in the Merrion Hotel’s Garden Terrace.

The Tánaiste attended the event prior to a meeting he held with Fine Gael senators on the same evening.

He told the meeting he had just come from an event hosted by their former government colleague Ms Zappone.

Good times.

Katherine Zappone hosted 50 friends including Tánaiste in five-star hotel before controversial appointment (Independent.ie)

Previously: The Land Of Nod And Wink

RollingNews

Update:

Dublin Bay South Fine Gael candidate James Geoghegan (left) and Tanaiste Leo Varadkar

This afternoon.

Meanwhile…

Um.

Earlier: My Boy

Image via YouTube

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar addressing the Select Committee on Trade and Employment earlier

This morning.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar says a “corona pass” could mean avoiding another lockdown if there’s a fourth wave of Covid.

He said:

“We can use those three weeks to develop plans for a corona pass, which let’s not forget may pave the way for the reopening of not just indoor hospitality but indoor sports and live events [as well] even if there is a Delta wave.

“That’s one of the things that maybe isn’t fully understood about the decision and advice from yesterday. Option one is to not reopen indoors until we have herd immunity – and who really knows when that will be. We’d hope it would be September, but maybe not.

“Now we have this option to use a corona pass… and potentially never having to lock down again.”

Tamaiste Leo Varadkar this morning.

Earlier…

On RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland, Mr Varadkar said:

“We had initial advice yesterday from the Attorney General who believes this is lawful.

“We will obviously pass certain laws to do it, but that it wouldn’t be unconstitutional, but that was an initial advice, he wants to consider it again.

“I have to say, I am disappointed with the approach of Labour and the Social Democrats in particular.

“Up until now, they’ve always said that we should take public health advice and follow the advice of Nphet (National Public Health Emergency Team).”

Tanaiste Says Covid Pass Would Mean An End To Lockdowns (Today FM)

‘We made the right decision to pause’ – Leo Varadkar on indoor dining delay and ‘pessimistic’ NPHET models (Independent.ie)

Above from left: Eamon Ryan, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport, Taoiseach Michael Martin and Tanaiste Leo Vradkar, at a press conference at Government Buildings yesterday evening

This morning.

RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland.

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said the situation is very unfair to young people but the best thing that can be done for them is to make sure they are vaccinated.

“I don’t think anything is fair about this pandemic, but this is the reality,” he said.

Mr Varadkar said the Government understands the announcement on delaying reopening was a surprise for many people and it will take time now to explain the modelling provided that led to the decision.

He said he is going to sit down with the hospitality industry and see how to make a green pass/corona pass system work, adding that there will be anomalies and details to work out, including if children under six can be exempted.

But, he said, initial advice from the Attorney General is that a vaccination certificate is lawful.

Mr Varadkar said that while the Government had not planned for such a system, nobody “had anticipated a scenario where there could be up to 2,000 deaths in coming months.”

Tánaiste ‘hopes’ NPHET is wrong, but balance of risk too high (RTÉ)

RollingNews

 

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar

This morning.

Via Irish Times Letters:

As seen in the Monday edition of The Irish Times.

Page 1: Leo Varadkar pronounces his wise counsel on the purchase of the new National Maternity Hospital site.

Page 1: In the blurb for page 3, we see that Leo Varadkar urges the DUP to honour agreements.

Page 2: Views on travel abroad: “Varadkar says Government has decided to diverge from Holohan’s travel advice.”

Page 3: “Varadkar urges DUP to ‘honour its commitments’ on Irish language’’.

Page 4: Varadkar’s concerns and “intimations” over site for new National Maternity Hospital.

Page 4: “Pandemic must leave positive legacy, says Tánaiste.”

Page 4: Varadkar’s Ard Fheis speech: “Varadkar dances a leftward shimmy to pair Fine Gael’s old favourites.”

I did check out the Sport section for Mr Varadkar’s tips for the Southwell and Ballinrobe races but, sadly, nothing doing.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan also get a fleeting mention in some of these articles.

But no mention at all of the leader of the Opposition, who happens to be the leader of what the polls consider to be the most popular party in the country – north and south.

How come?

Is mise,

Caomhin O Seanain

Anyone?/FIGHT!

Irish Times Letters

RollingNews