Leo Varadkar boasting about interfering in planning process

Zebra3

So the unending ego that is Leo Varadkar was boasting to the international media today that he interfered with planning permission for a wind farm a few years upon the request of a foreign businessman (Donald Trump).

Planning permission for the wind farm was subsequently turned down.

Incredible in a country with such a long history of planning corruption, that our Taoiseach would have done this and then think it’s great to boast about it in front of a global audience.

And politicians wonder why so many people have such contempt for them.

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/taoiseach-reveals-he-made-an-intervention-over-proposal-to-build-wind-farm-near-doonbeg-after-call-from-trump-36709388.html

Fann Linn

FG & FF. So alike in every way.

Ajsoprano

Jesus at least fine Fáil let the crumbs fall on the average worker. Apart from that they are the same in every way.

Jim Bob Scratcher

Leo is Trumps little bitch

lertsnim

I'd say Leo's spin department were cursing him when he came out with that story. Our Taoiseach is corrupt and he is the one who broke the news.

buried

The Twitter Brothers.

Wheeliebin30

Zzzzz im pretty sure hes not that thick to admit corruption in public.

Zebra3

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

Zzzzz im pretty sure hes not that thick to admit corruption in public.

Well, you’re pretty wrong.

Wheeliebin30

Zebra3 wrote: »

Well, you’re pretty wrong.

Read the article.

It clearly states he done nothing to intervene in the decision.

The professionally outraged strike again.

Galwayguy35

Maybe Mick (tax dodge) Wallace might give us his opinion on this.

Zebra3

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

Read the article.

It clearly states he done nothing to intervene in the decision.

The professionally outraged strike again.

He admitted that he contacted the council and interfered.

By admitted, of course, I mean, boasted.

Gatling

Old news it's been around since last year ,and now people are fauxraged.

Some people

Wheeliebin30

Zebra3 wrote: »

He admitted that he contacted the council and interfered.

By admitted, of course, I mean, boasted.

Read the article.

alchemist33

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

Read the article.

It clearly states he done nothing to intervene in the decision.

The professionally outraged strike again.

How much clearer could it be?

Speaking at a St Patrick’s Day lunch, Mr Varadkar said he “endeavoured to do" what he could and contacted Clare County Council after the call."

Wheeliebin30

alchemist33 wrote: »

How much clearer could it be?

"It was resolved by the county council rather than by me but it was resolved."

alchemist33

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

"It was resolved by the county council rather than by me but it was resolved."

After he contacted the council about it. He interfered in the process.

Captain Obvious

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

"It was resolved by the county council rather than by me but it was resolved."

Are you really going to choose this hill to battle on?

FrancieBrady

They will be locking Leo in the Enda Cage and keeping him away from the media at this stage.

Ajsoprano

Gatling wrote: »

Old news it's been around since last year ,and now people are fauxraged.

Some people

First time I heard of it. Should I not be outraged because somebody else heard of it before?

Come on now

Gatling

Ajsoprano wrote: »

First time I heard of it. Should I not be outraged because somebody else heard of it before?

Come on now

He gave an interview to time magazine last year and brought it up ,
It's a non issue for me

Your Face

A lot of wind farms and solar farms fail to get planning permission.

In this case I think there were 42 objection to the planning.

It bad spin for Leo but he still has credit with people seeing as he is who he is.

ted1

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

Zzzzz im pretty sure hes not that thick to admit corruption in public.

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

Zzzzz im pretty sure hes not that thick to admit corruption in public.

What corruption ?
A minister receives a call from. Concerned business man and looks in to it.

To me that would fall within his remit.

ted1

Ajsoprano wrote: »

Gatling wrote: »

Old news it's been around since last year ,and now people are fauxraged.

Some people

First time I heard of it. Should I not be outraged because somebody else heard of it before?

Come on now

What exactly are you outraged about?
Come on specifically say what you don’t like

FrancieBrady

Feeling chuffed that Donald credited him with getting the planning refused is totally cringe for a Taoiseach though.

Fann Linn

Labour Party and the Green's not happy with Leo's interference with Planning Permissions.

ted1

Zebra3 wrote: »

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

Read the article.

It clearly states he done nothing to intervene in the decision.

The professionally outraged strike again.

He admitted that he contacted the council and interfered.

By admitted, of course, I mean, boasted.

He didn’t admit to interfering , he made enquiries.

Anyway he would be negligent of his duties if he didn’t follow up on concerns from a business man who had legitimate concerns about something that could jeopardise jobs

Ajsoprano

ted1 wrote: »

What exactly are you outraged about?
Come on specifically say what you don’t like

We have a planning process. I don’t like having a process where you can ring the Taoiseach and get him to interfere. Who gets to ring him? I bet he wouldn’t answer the phone to me if I had a problem.
At the very least you have to ask is the office of Taoiseach for sale?

ted1

Ajsoprano wrote: »

ted1 wrote: »

What exactly are you outraged about?
Come on specifically say what you don’t like

We have a planning process. I don’t like having a process where you can ring the Taoiseach and get him to interfere. Who gets to ring him? I bet he wouldn’t answer the phone to me if I had a problem.
At the very least you have to ask is the office of Taoiseach for sale?

He didn’t , he rang a minister.

If you employ a hundred odd people in a rural location you can be sure that a minister would pick up the phone to you.

Explain how he interfered? He made enquiries.

ted1

Fann Linn wrote: »

Labour Party and the Green's not happy with Leo's interference with Planning Permissions.

Are the Labour Party ever happy. Generally oppositions aren’t happy whenever they think they can spin something.

Vronsky

Fann Linn wrote: »

Labour Party and the Green's not happy with Leo's interference with Planning Permissions.

Bit rich of them since politicians of all shades make representations in the planning process.

Bob_Marley

So funny that hypocrite Leo has been exposed making representations on behalf of Trumps private property empire.

Ajsoprano

ted1 wrote: »

He didn’t , he rang a minister.

If you employ a hundred odd people in a rural location you can be sure that a minister would pick up the phone to you.

Explain how he interfered? He made enquiries.

When he stopped being a minister did he throw his direct line to trump in the bin?
If he was interfering then he still is now.

He made enquirers and the issue was resolved.
Why would trump ring him to just make enquirers? Was it a friendly chat?

Funnily enough a minister was on prime time a couple of years ago caught asking for a few grand to get planning permission for a wind farm.

Now we have a Taoiseach making enquirers into planning permission against a wind farm.

Have we a case where planning permission depends on which minister you back?

Vronsky

Ajsoprano wrote: »

We have a planning process. I don’t like having a process where you can ring the Taoiseach and get him to interfere. Who gets to ring him? I bet he wouldn’t answer the phone to me if I had a problem.
At the very least you have to ask is the office of Taoiseach for sale?

Rich and powerful people deal with ministers not council workers. It's hardly fair but that's how it is.

There's a certain large factory that when they have problems with their water they are not calling the Irish water call centre, they are calling the minister for the environment to get it fixed.

That's the real world - the rich go straight to the top.

Fann Linn

Vronsky wrote: »

Bit rich of them since politicians of all shades make representations in the planning process.

In fairness to the LP, didn't the Moriarty Inquiry state that they had no underhanded dealings in relation to PP and or payments to politicians?

buried

ted1

Ajsoprano wrote: »

ted1 wrote: »

He didn’t , he rang a minister.

If you employ a hundred odd people in a rural location you can be sure that a minister would pick up the phone to you.

Explain how he interfered? He made enquiries.

When he stopped being a minister did he throw his direct line to trump in the bin?
If he was interfering then he still is now.

He made enquirers and the issue was resolved.
Why would trump ring him to just make enquirers? Was it a friendly chat?

Funnily enough a minister was on prime time a couple of years ago caught asking for a few grand to get planning permission for a wind farm.

Now we have a Taoiseach making enquirers into planning permission against a wind farm.

Have we a case where planning permission depends on which minister you back?

What minister was in prime time ? I remember a cllr at most a TD.

We didn’t have a Taoiseach making planning enquiries we had a minister who had a legitimate concern from an large employer

Ajsoprano

ted1 wrote: »

What minister was in prime time ? I remember a cllr at most a TD.

We didn’t have a Taoiseach making planning enquiries we had a minister who had a legitimate concern from an large employer

Sure. I get ye. Jobs would have been lost if a wind farm was built 4 miles away.
Wink wink.

Fann Linn

ted1 wrote: »

What minister was in prime time ? I remember a cllr at most a TD.

We didn’t have a Taoiseach making planning enquiries we had a minister who had a legitimate concern from an large employer

Here we are discussing 'pp and big business' by a former Govt minister, and it was that very same person who raised the issue in the first place.
Not very clever.

ted1

Fann Linn wrote: »

ted1 wrote: »

What minister was in prime time ? I remember a cllr at most a TD.

We didn’t have a Taoiseach making planning enquiries we had a minister who had a legitimate concern from an large employer

Here we are discussing 'pp and big business' by a former Govt minister, and it was that very same person who raised the issue in the first place.
Not very clever.

Wind farms are big business too. I’d be concerned if you wee talking about. Pp and small business

end of the road

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

Maybe Mick (tax dodge) Wallace might give us his opinion on this.

he paid what he owed in the end.

ted1

end of the road wrote: »

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

Maybe Mick (tax dodge) Wallace might give us his opinion on this.

he paid what he owed in the end.

To the tax man , bank and sub contractors?

Wheeliebin30

end of the road wrote: »

he paid what he owed in the end.

Lol no he didn't!!!!

Roanmore

end of the road wrote: »

he paid what he owed in the end.

Paid who?

FrancieBrady

Story is gathering steam.

Dear oh dear Leo.

ted1

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Story is gathering steam.

Dear oh dear Leo.

6 nations on Saturday and paddy’s day. It’ll be as long lived as his jacket scandal.

ninebeanrows

Talk about a fuss over nothing!

It's akin to you calling your TD to ask them to not build an incinerator beside your gaff and the TD making the call.

How is this corrupt? What did Leo receive to make it corrupt?

He was looking out for the sector he was in charge of at the time and trying to ensure jobs were secure etc.

It is cringe he tried to boast about it- that is about the sum of the story.

Ajsoprano

What’s this got to do with Mick Wallace?
Have we reverted to closing the bunker door and shouting insults at Sinn Fein and the independents.
Is it time to ask Gerry Adams about the 70s?

Strazdas

The way I understood Varadkar's comments is that he was telling a humorous anecdote about 'pretending' to intervene in the planning process on Trump's behalf and get a wind farm halted.

Probably an unwise aside though and I don't think he was fully thinking through the optics of what he has suggesting.

FrancieBrady

ted1 wrote: »

6 nations on Saturday and paddy’s day. It’ll be as long lived as his jacket scandal.

There were no political party's indicating he had questions to answer over his jacket.

He better have been above board here or it could seriously hurt.

The cringe factor of being chuffed because Donald thought he had broken the law for him. Damaging.

Ajsoprano

Strazdas wrote: »

The way I understood Varadkar's comments is that he was telling a humorous anecdote about 'pretending' to intervene in the planning process on Trump's behalf and get a wind farm halted.

Probably an unwise aside though and I don't think he was fully thinking through the optics of what he has suggesting.

In allo allo when the wife caught the husband in the wardrobe with the young wan he’d call her a “stupid woman” then give her an excuse like that.

Underground

I can't be bothered getting annoyed about this, it's a non-story. Go for a walk or something.