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Child Item

Leo Varadkar comes out as gay

Annasopra

Leo Varadkar just came out on RTE Radio.

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Peist2007

He came out on Miriam's show right?

Anita Blow

Dan_Solo wrote: »

The point is we have no idea if he would be reporting trolley numbers unless they were falling.

Of course he wouldn't, and of course it's PR. Is he meant to report one of the hundred other health service statistics he could ? Why just trolley numbers? Why not elective surgeries, waiting lists for therapies, treatment times and frequencies etc.? The reality is that there is too much information communicate on a daily or near daily basis unless there is something abnormal about them (like trolleys in this case).

Dan_Solo wrote: »

Oh please! Of course getting patients off trolleys and into beds is the responsibility of the Minister for Health. Or does he just forward the cheque he's given by Enda and says good luck with that lads, do your best?

Yes he does.
Why do you think we have a CEO for the HSE? The Minister's duties include the creation and assessment of policy for the health services, while the HSE's role is in actually running the health service on behalf of the department of health.

Issues like this become a responsibility for the minister where the HSE has failed and the department needs to step in.

Galwayguy35

Bambi wrote: »

Will they bankrupt the country? :rolleyes:

Too right they will!

Dan_Solo

Anita Blow wrote: »

Of course he wouldn't, and of course it's PR. Is he meant to report one of the hundred other health service statistics he could ? Why just trolley numbers? Why not elective surgeries, waiting lists for therapies, treatment times and frequencies etc.? The reality is that there is too much information communicate on a daily or near daily basis unless there is something abnormal about them (like trolleys in this case).

Too much? Why? Will people's brains explode due to the mere fact the information is available? His trolley tweeting is PR. Nothing more.

Anita Blow wrote: »

Yes he does.
Why do you think we have a CEO for the HSE? The Minister's duties include the creation and assessment of policy for the health services, while the HSE's role is in actually running the health service on behalf of the department of health.

Issues like this become a responsibility for the minister where the HSE has failed and the department needs to step in.

This is the worst bit of politician apologism I've read on boards.ie well, not ever (this place is bat****), but in quite a while.
If the minister sets policy and that policy doesn't work then it's the HSE's fault for not implementing it properly? "Here's a tenner. No more trolleys." Now blame the HSE when that doesn't fix it? Really?

floggg

Dan_Solo wrote: »

Simply not true if you're on the dole. Why does Varadkar himself demand more attention than the issue itself? Why don't you have a go at thinking about the issue presented instead of the man behind it? More cult of personality garbage.
BTW, another thing you don't seem to know: it's quite easy to change taxes, e.g. cut offs and marginal rates, without making a blind bit of difference to the poorest workers.

Actually if you want to be pedantic, since social welfare payments are funded by tax receipts, they have a vested interest in seeing the state receive as much tax as possible - otherwise they may see cuts in their dole.

You seem to enjoy taking a general statement, and then trying to twist and contort them out of all context in order to show them up as false. I said more likely to appreciate the effects of changes - I allowed for other results, I just didn't think it was necessary to add in every imaginable qualification or proviso.

And have I, or anybody, ever said the referendum would be just about Leo personally? It will be about the rights of all LGBT people in Ireland, present and future, Leo (and myself) included.

You are inventing a lot of arguments for yourself to refute here.

sonofenoch

His mammy though he'd lose his seat if he came out ......I'd wager he lost his seat long ago boooooom boooom

SILVAMAN

sonofenoch wrote: »

His mammy though he'd lose his seat if he came out ......I'd wager he lost his seat long ago boooooom boooom

wow...someone's not too comfortable with their own sexuality

Dan_Solo

SILVAMAN wrote: »

wow...someone's not too comfortable with their own sexuality

Is it you, taking offense on somebody else's behalf so easily?

PopePalpatine

SILVAMAN wrote: »

wow...someone's not too comfortable with their own sexuality

Perhaps he's just rehearsing for a comedy fundraiser for the Ionanists. :rolleyes:

Shrap

Well I was listening to Newstalk earlier and Henry was out interviewing people on the street in Navan to get their opinions on Leo coming out. It was nice to hear so many voices (and many elderly) saying "sure what difference does it make - it's how he does his job that counts?" and many saying fair play and it must have been hard for him/a relief, etc.

Two fellas stood out though. The first said "It's disgusting, that's what it is". When asked why, he spluttered "He's MINISTER for HEALTH!". I think the gist of it was that gays are too disgusting to be minister. The second guy was more disturbing in a way, in that he was all about Leo coming out and fair play, but that he shouldn't be allowed to be involved in the legislation as he could bias it. When asked, he said it was because "marriage is for a man and a woman. Gay marriage is a different thing". Thereby proving why Leo had to come out before the debate kicks off for real.

I saw someone else earlier (was it here?) saying that he shouldn't be allowed work on legislation that affected him personally. I mean, WHAT?! Extraordinary ignorance out of some people. Leo and whatever political advice he got were bang on the money not to be wrong footed any closer to the referendum.

lightspeed

Just watching Bloomberg and on the right they have a list of news headlines scrolling down on the right.

One headline reads as follows:

"Ireland gets Tim Cook moment as future PM tip: I am gay"

They referring to when Tim Cook of Apple came out that he was gay and seem to of the opinion that Leo is tipped to be the future prime minister of Ireland.

"For Ireland, Varadkar coming out is a watershed moment akin to Apple Inc.’s Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook declaration in the U.S. last year that he was “proud to be gay.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-19/ireland-gets-cook-moment-as-future-pm-tip-says-he-s-gay.html

BBJBIG

So .... I'm fed up with Wimmin and their bleeeeedin Nonsense.
How does one catch "de Ghey" ?

Might be better off.

Pocoyo

Gay people most of Ireland support you but please stop getting wound up by people questioning this embarrassment of a health minister

Ireland has come so far that no ones give a **** that hes gay..think about that we really dont care thats a huge victory for gay rights, we just care that this minister and his government are incompetent fools that are raping this country to the benefit of themselves and the imf/eu. So dont rally behind this cretin he is no role model.

SILVAMAN

Dan_Solo wrote: »

Is it you, taking offense on somebody else's behalf so easily?

bit too close for comfort?:p

sonofenoch

SILVAMAN wrote: »

wow...someone's not too comfortable with their own sexuality

An original response.....well done you

mrsbyrne

hotmail.com wrote: »

Don't you give teenage girls demonstrations on tampons?

No. No I don't. Where did you hear that?

Shrap

hotmail.com wrote: »

Don't you give teenage girls demonstrations on tampons?

I think it's a friend of her daughter's that gives the demonstrations.

Dan_Solo

SILVAMAN wrote: »

bit too close for comfort?:p

Ah, a joke at a heterosexual's expense. I'm sure all the equality lovers who were so upset by a pun on "Varadkar's seat" will jump in to defend me here in 3... 2... 1...

suicide_circus

http://www.rte.ie/archives/2014/0212/503805-david-norris-chairman-of-the-gay-rights-movement-1975/

Worth a watch - David Norris on rte in 1975.

Annasopra

Dan_Solo wrote: »

Ah, a joke at a heterosexual's expense. I'm sure all the equality lovers who were so upset by a pun on "Varadkar's seat" will jump in to defend me here in 3... 2... 1...

For someone who doesnt care you cant seem to leave this thread alone.

Dan_Solo

floggg wrote: »

Actually if you want to be pedantic, since social welfare payments are funded by tax receipts, they have a vested interest in seeing the state receive as much tax as possible - otherwise they may see cuts in their dole.

No direct connection. Lower taxes could stimulate the economy leading to a greater overall tax take. To be pedantic.

floggg wrote: »

You seem to enjoy taking a general statement, and then trying to twist and contort them out of all context in order to show them up as false. I said more likely to appreciate the effects of changes - I allowed for other results, I just didn't think it was necessary to add in every imaginable qualification or proviso.

You seem to enjoy making a statement, and when the utter lack of logic is immediately demonstrated back to you, you cry blue murder. It makes zero difference to me voting yes in the coming refendum what Varadkar's sexuality is. I'm guessing Enda Kenny is a heterosexual but I'm not voting against the bill because of that either. I don't need these guys to tell me right from wrong. Perhaps others do.

SpaceTime

I think sometimes we forget how far Ireland's come in the last 25 years though.

Homosexuality was actually *illegal* here until 1993!

Contraception was illegal from 1935 until 1980 (well 1978 they were available on prescription, if you were married!)

Then from 1980 until 1992 they were still highly restricted.

The first divorce was in 1997 - prior to that you just had to stay in your collapsed marriage and either just pretend it was all fine and probably stay in a horrible loveless marriage or worse, an abusive one.

Many Irish people actually became exiles when their marriages failed as they sought divorce and new lives elsewhere.

All of those things sound like a million years ago now.

The Abortion laws are the only overhang from the old-regime at this stage.

It just shows though how far Ireland's changed when you've a situation where you can now have an openly gay cabinet minister and for the most part, the vast majority of the population are 100% fine with it and are mostly just bitching about the fact that he's a blueshirt or hasn't single handedly reformed the HSE in 6 months.

Scary to think that when Leo was 13, being gay was actually a crime here. So, you can imagine how people a bit older than 36 must have felt, people who wen thought their teens or their adult life in that kind of scenario.

Even in the 1990s, being gay was a *huge* deal here and elsewhere. It's only really very recently that it's suddenly become less of an issue and is rapidly becoming a non-issue. However it's taken a LONG time.

When you look at someone in their 30s now, they're really the first generation where during their adult life in Ireland being gay wasn't a crime.

Shrap

Dan_Solo wrote: »

As to whether Yes or No is the right way to vote "it affects me" is a pretty crappy platform to campaign on TBH.

Ah ha. You all reminded me of who it was said that it's crappy to campaign on an issue if you are personally affected by it.

Credibility.....http://buzzborn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/bombs-explosions.gifkaBOOM

Dan_Solo

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

For someone who doesnt care you cant seem to leave this thread alone.

Ah yes, the weakest argument in the history of discussion, probably thought up of somebody short of something to say several seconds after his mate invented speech.
I'm not interested in Varadkar's sexuality, correct. I am interested in why he feels the need to come out close to this referendum and a possible FG leadership challenge. It stinks of PR and many seem to be lapping it up wholesale.

PS: fact that you had nothing to say about a joke concerning MY sexuality, as predicted, noted.

Shrap

Shrap wrote: »

Well I was listening to Newstalk earlier and Henry was out interviewing people on the street in Navan to get their opinions on Leo coming out. It was nice to hear so many voices (and many elderly) saying "sure what difference does it make - it's how he does his job that counts?" and many saying fair play and it must have been hard for him/a relief, etc.

Two fellas stood out though. The first said "It's disgusting, that's what it is". When asked why, he spluttered "He's MINISTER for HEALTH!". I think the gist of it was that gays are too disgusting to be minister. The second guy was more disturbing in a way, in that he was all about Leo coming out and fair play, but that he shouldn't be allowed to be involved in the legislation as he could bias it. When asked, he said it was because "marriage is for a man and a woman. Gay marriage is a different thing". Thereby proving why Leo had to come out before the debate kicks off for real.

I saw someone else earlier (was it here?) saying that he shouldn't be allowed work on legislation that affected him personally. I mean, WHAT?! Extraordinary ignorance out of some people. Leo and whatever political advice he got were bang on the money not to be wrong footed any closer to the referendum.

Dan Solo, did you read this at all?

Dan_Solo

Shrap wrote: »

Ah ha. You all reminded me of who it was said that it's crappy to campaign on an issue if you are personally affected by it.

Credibility.....http://buzzborn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/bombs-explosions.gifkaBOOM

Couldn't make a cogent argument... ****ed up a link to a gif instead... well that's me convinced!
You were saying something about credibility?

SpaceTime

Shrap wrote: »

Well I was listening to Newstalk earlier and Henry was out interviewing people on the street in Navan to get their opinions on Leo coming out. It was nice to hear so many voices (and many elderly) saying "sure what difference does it make - it's how he does his job that counts?" and many saying fair play and it must have been hard for him/a relief, etc.

Two fellas stood out though. The first said "It's disgusting, that's what it is". When asked why, he spluttered "He's MINISTER for HEALTH!". I think the gist of it was that gays are too disgusting to be minister. The second guy was more disturbing in a way, in that he was all about Leo coming out and fair play, but that he shouldn't be allowed to be involved in the legislation as he could bias it. When asked, he said it was because "marriage is for a man and a woman. Gay marriage is a different thing". Thereby proving why Leo had to come out before the debate kicks off for real.

I saw someone else earlier (was it here?) saying that he shouldn't be allowed work on legislation that affected him personally. I mean, WHAT?! Extraordinary ignorance out of some people. Leo and whatever political advice he got were bang on the money not to be wrong footed any closer to the referendum.

By that logic, unless you're bisexual, you shouldn't be allowed to have any involvement in the drafting of this bill! Everyone else has an agenda.

Dan_Solo

Shrap wrote: »

Dan Solo, did you read this at all?

A handpicked paraphrase from some unnamed randomer in Navan? Um, are you expecting a serious conversation about that?

mikom

Dan_Solo wrote: »

probably thought up of somebody short of something to several seconds after his mate invented speech.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7RgN9ijwE4

jobbridge4life

Dan_Solo wrote: »

It makes zero difference to me voting yes in the coming refendum what Varadkar's sexuality is. I'm guessing Enda Kenny is a heterosexual but I'm not voting against the bill because of that either. I don't need these guys to tell me right from wrong. Perhaps others do.

I'd imagine there is so your point then is?