Leo Varadkar resigns as Taoiseach

Kiteview

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121920034#Comment_121920034

Emigrating for a year or two is still emigrating.

”Going on hols” means you don’t earn any income and it less than six months (as visas apply after that).

foxhunter2024

Has the Wef penetrated any other fg to take over?

Seadin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121920109#Comment_121920109

I was thinking the same. Totally out of the blue. Was he involved in a scandal that will come out in due course? Very unusual to announce his resignment today and it coming totally out of the the blue.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121920082#Comment_121920082

It depends on how hard the increases are felt and the level of debt that's involved. Just looking at figure like 23% and comparing it to something like 8% doesn't tell the whole story.

Most goods and services cost a LOT more than they did in the 80's.

Seadin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121919959#Comment_121919959

And who is going to be in power ? The opposition is as crap as the government in place right now.

amacca

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121920123#Comment_121920123

Why stay on in that case?

Isnt it more likely he realises he has a losing hand for whats to come now matter how he plays his cards...and a lot of the party see him as a liability so rather than an inevitable heave or big kicks in the hole at elections...leave the position now on your own terms, remain a td and see what materialises....may even get some sympathy and collect less ire from sections of the public this way.

Jeff2

I take Leo's promise to keep working for Ireland in his statement to be a threat to the Irish people.

As he has been against Irish on every thing.

Please Leo stop help Ireland and feck off.

kincaid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121919605#Comment_121919605

She thinks the irish and everyone that disagrees with her ideas are scumbags

josip

Varadkar meeting Biden a few days ago. There's Joe, 81 years old, going for it again. And Leo, done and dusted at 45. Quite the contrast.

Lewis_Benson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121920110#Comment_121920110

🤣🤣🤣

Goldengirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121919110#Comment_121919110

Maybe he's pregnant ?

Asdfgh2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121920225#Comment_121920225

He is going to transition…he is jetting off to Thailand 🇹🇭 next week to start procedures….the babies will then follow…..🤣

Sheep breeder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121918596#Comment_121918596

You say a child left crying in pain is emotive, well if you had a child waiting for 4 years for corrective spine surgery and in serious pain daily and all because of a poorly run healthcare you might change your mind very quickly, your talking about back in the 80s what was then this is now, a lot of people grew up in that period and we remember and full employment etc, how many are drawing the dole at present and many have being on the dole a lifetime, simple fact Leo thought he was invincible and got a kick from the voters of all Ireland not the Dublin bubble of woke in the recent referendum, and the up coming local elections he was going to get another kicking and a backlash from the FG party and balled out before this happens.

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121919649#Comment_121919649

FG are very likley to be in the next govt.

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121920017#Comment_121920017

I agree it wont be Mcentee & almost certainly Harris.

But FG are more likley than not part of the next govt with FF, so becoming leader now wouldnt be a bad thing for personal & political longevity.

Dick phelan

The worry is we haven't invested property in so many areas when we've actually had cash to do so. Our economy is actually very fragile, a massive percentage of our corporate tax is paid by a few massive companies. If even a few of those leave or experience a downturn we are in trouble. Our health, transport, housing etc are not in good shape and I really fear how bad they'll get when another recession hits. FG have pissed away so much money when they had a golden opportunity to really invest in the country.

This is it

Hopefully not McEntee. Any chance for Paschal? One of the less hated politicians in Ireland. FG could see a decent bounce if he took over, get numbers going the right direction before calling a GE

Dick phelan

Also people going on about the 80s. Ye but that was when we had no money. Recent years have seen record tax takes and we still have abysmal public services.

My name is URL

Don't think there's any big conspiracy surrounding it tbh. Varadkar has always said he'd be out of politics before 50.

He's been dismal over the last 2 years (at least), and prob had a heap of pressure on him to resign before today. This is a 'fcuk you' to his dissenters within the party. Leave them high and dry, so to speak.

What's more telling about it all is the lack of a plan of succession in the event that this happened. FG are running blind

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121920268#Comment_121920268

Yep. More could have been done during this golden tax revenue period. It cant last forever and Ireland completley outpuches its weight with regards the amount of MNCs here.

Long may it continue, but in reality, it cant last forever & so we should be doing more with the tax take whilst we have it.

Beta Ray Bill

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121920279#Comment_121920279

Energy security and independence is a key part of that I think.

We've done SFA with renewables and gutted out using gas off the west coast for power.

Cheap, independently produced energy that makes diversifying the economy a hell of a lot easier.

I get some people will say that the planning laws are the issue but this government and the last have done literally nothing to fix the planning laws and address the major issues facing ABP.

And while the population has increased due to Foreign nationals arriving here for work (legal or otherwise) the number of native Irish people is on the decline due to young people leaving and Women not having enough kids and having them later.

It's like the economy is doing well, but only because it running very hot.

Ionraice

I've never been happier to see a resignation. I'm inclined to wonder if Leo isn't the most despised Taoiseach ever? (And, yes, I remember Bertie, and Biffo, and Haughey).

Personally, I hope the Government runs its complete term. Not because I support FG, FF, or the Greens. The level of incompetence and arrogance they've shown is truly breathtaking. Nor do I have any hope for SF.

Their social policies are almost indistinguishable from FF and FG at this point. Recent referenda results have proven they are as out of touch with the mood of the electorate as the Government - and that's saying something.

We need change. An election in the near future does not allow time for smaller parties to organise candidates, or new parties to form. So, whereas my knee jerk reaction to Leo's announcement was to wish Eamon Ryan, Roderick O Gorman, Helen McEntee, Simon Harris, Simon Coveney, Michael Martin, and Mary Lou would jump ship too, on reflection, I think the best hope for the Irish people is that they stick around another while, in the hope that a better alternative presents itself.

I'll still go to sleep with a smile on my face, though, at the thought of hearing less waffle or condescension from Leo...

kowloonkev

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121920040#Comment_121920040

If only running the country depended on who sounds good on Questions and Answers.

The idea that that is what you're using in support of him speaks volumes.

I think the begrudgery as you put it comes from people get the rewards of success without being successful. Since he was never chosen by the people to be Taoiseach, that probably irked a few alright.

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malinheader

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121920034#Comment_121920034

Alot of young people I know are going to Australia to try and get enough money for a deposit on a house because in this country and especially in rural areas its impossible to get any kind of job that would suffice.

WishUWereHere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121919335#Comment_121919335

While I find it hard to stomach more of the same ( more or less, certainly without the greens ) I think You are bang on here.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121920375#Comment_121920375

It doesn't say much for the opposition that Varadkar thinks he can go when he pleases. If the opposition of any party looked in strong shape to form the next government no way would he have stood down early.

In a funny way Varadkar has really played the opposition like a harp. Because some could not wait to try and get rid of him, but him going of his own choosing leaves the opposition looking weak/ill-prepared. They had no prepared spiel ready to "connect with voters". It was real shrewd move. Will bring some fresh leadership, and if the opposition call for "change" they will just sound silly.

Meanwhile if FF and FG do anyway decent it will them and one of the Greens/Labour/Soc Dems etc. I think given the government's performance during Covid in particular, unless the electorate have a set on the government they can't do worse than the last GE.

It makes SF's error of calling for a Yes/Yes with the government in the referendum look more like a real own goal. How can SF call the government "out of touch" after that?

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121919865#Comment_121919865

People can afford to buy houses. It’s supply and demand. Every house that goes on the market is sold to someone.

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121919959#Comment_121919959

They were elected by the population. The term is 5 years. Why would you expect an election now ?

Kermit.de.frog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121920059#Comment_121920059

What political party has the courage to stand up and tell the Irish people not only the truth on the demographics but the undoing of social "progress" of the last 30 years is the only way to undo the catastrophe?

Immigration is only sticking plaster.

We need to stop telling women it's better to have a career than raise any kids.

Who's going to brave enough to do it and will it be done in time?

It has to happen or we face oblivion. The facts don't lie. Within a generation there will not be enough young people to sustain not only this country but almost every western country apart from the United States.

Everyone's living standards is going to collapse as things stand.