# Varadkar

This month

March 2023

# Refugees

€20m signed off on for refugee accommodation plans, with commercial properties being considered

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said it is“impossible to say” whether the plan is enough.

21.1k

Mar 3rd 2023, 7:28 PM

Last month

February 2023

# Final Countdown

D-Day for Protocol talks as von der Leyen visits Sunak to tackle 'complex challenges'

The two leaders will hold a joint press conference if a revised deal is signed-off.

The visit of von der Leyen to London is seen as a measure of how close the sides are to agreeing a deal.

Sunak is planning to brief his Cabinet before potentially announcing the details of deal.

Former minister Jacob Rees-Mogg has said he does not believe Sunak has done enough to convince the DUP to re-enter into power-sharing.

8.0k

Updated

Feb 27th 2023, 8:23 AM

This year

2023

# ring ring

Varadkar reiterates need to avoid hard border on island of Ireland during phonecall with Sunak

During the conversation, the Taoiseach repeated the need for a solution which avoids a hard border on the island of Ireland.

7.6k

Updated

Jan 23rd 2023, 7:11 PM

Last year

2022

# Healthcare

Taoiseach aims to reduce wait for child healthcare and assessments by 2025

Varadkar’s new unit will aim to reduce the time children have to wait to receive healthcare or be assessed for special needs.

9.6k

Dec 26th 2022, 2:03 PM

# Sanctions

Russia bans Taoiseach, Tánaiste and 50 other Irish representatives from entering the country

The Russian Foreign Ministry issued an entry ban on three ministers and dozens of members of the Oireachtas

35.4k

Nov 16th 2022, 12:54 PM

# Lay-offs

Tech companies expanded ‘a little too quickly’, Varadkar says

Minister for Enterprise Leo Varadkar said his sympathies were with Stripe and Twitter employees who had lost their jobs.

39.4k

Updated

Nov 4th 2022, 6:26 PM

# Trouble Brewing

Michael McGrath says Varadkar should have discussed Finance portfolio handover 'privately'

He said that Varadkar’s handover plan would be a ‘division of the Department of Finance’.

44.6k

Updated

Sep 19th 2022, 12:49 PM

# Budget

Varadkar unapologetic on 'Sinn Féin manifesto' remark about Commission on taxation

‘I hope we’re not in the place where you can’t say what you think anymore in politics.’

29.3k

Sep 18th 2022, 2:35 PM

# energy costs

Varadkar says potential price caps on energy bills have 'echoes of the bank guarantee'

Speaking today, Varadkar said that he is not ruling out price caps, but added that he was nervous about it.

20.4k

Sep 14th 2022, 5:11 PM

Voices

Opinion: 'Tánaiste, Fine Gael's housing policy only benefits developers & vulture funds'

The SocDem’s Cian O’Callaghan responds to comments on the housing crisis made by Leo Varadkar in The Journal.

18.3k

Aug 19th 2022, 2:58 PM

# misinfo

Financial advisor warns against hoax crypto ads featuring Leo Varadkar and other public figures

Users of multiple websites reported encountering the false ad featuring the FG leader in recent weeks.

14.2k

Jul 24th 2022, 7:01 AM

# redundancies

Over 300 jobs to go at PayPal offices in Dundalk and Blanchardstown

135 jobs in Blanchardstown and 172 jobs in Dundalk will be affected.

38.9k

May 24th 2022, 3:06 PM

# Cost of Living

New measures ‘in the mix’ to tackle cost-of-living crisis, Varadkar says

The Tánaiste flagged concerns about potential diesel shortages and a doubling of energy prices.

28.4k

Apr 1st 2022, 1:53 PM

# belfast summit

Political relationships between NI, Ireland and UK ‘not where they should be’, Varadkar says

The Tánaiste was addressing a high street regeneration conference in Belfast.

11.6k

Mar 30th 2022, 8:17 PM

# Covid-19

Leo Varadkar self isolating after positive Covid-19 antigen test

The CMO has not recommended re-introducing measures to curb the spread of the virus.

27.2k

Mar 25th 2022, 11:04 AM

# yuri filatov

Russian ambassador says he can 'leave any time' as Varadkar says his expulsion not ruled out

The Government is facing growing calls from opposition parties to expel Yuri Filatov.

82.9k

Feb 26th 2022, 7:59 AM

All time

# Coronavirus

Daily Covid case numbers will reach 4,000 today or tomorrow, Varadkar says

The Tánaiste said the uptick can partially be explained by a backlog of unverified cases.

Varadkar added that the high case numbers do not mean the same thing as they did last winter.

The Tánaiste said that the Government doesn't intend to bring back Covid restrictions.

The HSE has confirmed about 10 elective operations per week are being cancelled per site across some 21 hospitals.

27.8k

Nov 5th 2021, 10:55 AM

# phased reopening

Varadkar says tomorrow is a ‘big day’ as thousands of workers return to office

Many businesses are also set to open their doors for the first time since the pandemic began.

30.7k

Sep 19th 2021, 1:07 PM

# Brexit

UK announces further extensions on post-Brexit grace periods

The European Commission said it “will not agree to a renegotiation of the Protocol”.

30.6k

Updated

Sep 6th 2021, 7:13 PM

# Merrion

Coveney asks to appear before Oireachtas Committee to clarify text controversy

The fallout from the Zappone controversy continues.

42.6k

116

Updated

Sep 2nd 2021, 5:28 PM

# new jab

Leo Varadkar has been administering vaccines at a Dublin mass vaccination centre

He said earlier this year that he was available to help the HSE.

65.0k

124

Apr 28th 2021, 7:46 PM

# 5km limit

Vaccine delays won't prevent 'modest' easing of restrictions on 5 April, says Tánaiste

Varadkar said the reopening of non-essential retail stores would be “further down the line”.

80.8k

Mar 10th 2021, 2:48 PM

# Coronavirus

Revised Living with Covid plan offers 'nothing new' and is a ‘wing and a prayer’ strategy, Dáil told

Labour’s Alan Kelly attacked the plan during Leaders’ Questions today.

33.8k

110

Updated

Feb 24th 2021, 2:06 PM

# Sick Pay

Varadkar launches public consultation on plans for laws to give employees legal right to sick pay

The Tánaiste said statutory sick pay must be fair for workers and employers.

27.6k

Nov 16th 2020, 6:39 AM

Voices

Larry Donnelly: Buckle up, this #GE2020 campaign promises to be interesting

As a self-confessed political anorak, Larry Donnelly is looking forward to the race.

16.4k

Jan 18th 2020, 9:00 PM

# royal irish constabulary

Varadkar says it's 'regrettable' that some politicians will boycott RIC commemoration service

The government recently said it will commemorate those who served in the force prior to Irish independence.

50.0k

197

Updated

Jan 6th 2020, 5:35 PM

# Discrimination

Varadkar says he is 'thankful' he hasn't had much experiences of homophobia or racism

He said he has been subjected to name-calling but never anything violent.

21.0k

Dec 22nd 2019, 10:42 AM

# United Ireland

Varadkar says he would like to see a united Ireland in his lifetime

“I would, but only in accordance with the Good Friday Agreement.”

23.7k

Oct 25th 2019, 12:29 PM

# New York

Taoiseach tells Boris Johnson there is still a 'very wide gap' between UK and EU on Brexit deal

Leo Varadkar met Boris Johnson in New York today.

18.9k

Sep 24th 2019, 7:21 PM

# Brexit

Ian Paisley Jr accuses Coveney and Varadkar of 'unnecessarily aggressive' language

Varadkar said earlier today that Boris Johnson will have to “depart” from what he’s said recently if he wants a Brexit deal.

64.6k

143

Updated

Jul 26th 2019, 7:50 PM

# tensions

'Enormous hostility' among some EU members towards any further Brexit extension, says Varadkar

Varadkar reiterated that the EU is not prepared to reopen the Withdrawal Agreement again.

27.9k

Jun 20th 2019, 4:08 PM

# CervicalCheck

Varadkar says outsourcing of cervical smears is 'serious' and may be 'a breach of contract'

A report released yesterday indicated that Irish smear samples were sent to 16 labs – not 6, as was initially reported in 2018.

15.9k

Updated

Jun 12th 2019, 6:42 PM

# brexit talk

Varadkar warns of 'terrible political miscalculation' in London over Brexit deal

Speaking today, Varadkar said that he is a “little concerned about political developments in London at present”.

39.9k

Jun 11th 2019, 9:54 PM

# trump in ireland

Varadkar 'looks forward' to meeting Trump when he visits Ireland in two weeks' time

Trump and his wife Melania will stay at his Doonbeg resort in Clare.

10.5k

May 22nd 2019, 8:09 AM

# fitness to lead

Leo Varadkar didn't seem pleased with his 'metabolic age' on Operation Transformation

The Taoiseach turned 40 last week, but his fitness level doesn’t appear to match.

76.3k

Feb 7th 2019, 10:32 AM

# strike action

Taoiseach says he's saddened that nurses decided to strike on a weekday

He said he’d have preferred the weekend.

38.2k

145

Jan 9th 2019, 10:08 PM

# strategic communications

Taoiseach's department has spent nearly €500k on video production since Varadkar took office

Videos produced for the Project Ireland 2040 plan cost just under €150,000 alone.

25.8k

Dec 16th 2018, 12:05 AM

# At Work

FactCheck: Is Varadkar right to say immigrants are more likely to be working than Irish people?

The Taoiseach made the claim in the Dáil recently. But is it actually the case?

54.8k

138

Oct 14th 2018, 8:00 PM

# eurotrip

All smiles as Varadkar and Merkel talk Brexit on Taoiseach's first trip to Berlin

Merkel was recently elected as chancellor for the fourth time.

21.4k

120

Mar 20th 2018, 2:05 PM

# eurotrash talk

Leo told Bloomberg TV it's time to get 'down and dirty' on the details of Brexit

The UK hopes to have terms of a transition deal by March.

11.9k

Jan 25th 2018, 12:36 PM