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Dr. Leo Varadkar rejoins the health service

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Comments

  • #2
    Stanford
    Registered Users Posts: 1,178 ✭✭✭Stanford


    We elected FG to lead the Government and they elected Vlad to be Taoiseach, not a medical doctor.

    Another silly FG stunt, we need leadership now, not Vlad playing silly buggers


  • #3
    Slim Charles
    Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 621 ✭✭✭Slim Charles


    Stanford wrote: »
    We elected FG to lead the Government and they elected Vlad to be Taoiseach, not a medical doctor.

    Another silly FG stunt, we need leadership now, not Vlad playing silly buggers

    Vlad is so clever, what a clever thing to call him. Ho!


  • #4
    emo72
    Registered Users Posts: 6,185 ✭✭✭emo72


    Stanford wrote: »
    We elected FG to lead the Government and they elected Vlad to be Taoiseach, not a medical doctor.

    Another silly FG stunt, we need leadership now, not Vlad playing silly buggers

    ahhh, im no fan of his. but seriously, dont be putting the boot in. theres no need.


  • #5
    MAJJ
    Registered Users Posts: 1,679 ✭✭✭MAJJ


    Stanford wrote: »
    We elected FG to lead the Government and they elected Vlad to be Taoiseach, not a medical doctor.

    Another silly FG stunt, we need leadership now, not Vlad playing silly buggers

    Did FG not agree with FF to rotate the role of Taoiseach with Martin going first?


  • #6
    ednwireland
    Registered Users Posts: 14,276 ✭✭✭✭ednwireland


    Stanford wrote: »
    We elected FG to lead the Government and they elected Vlad to be Taoiseach, not a medical doctor.

    Another silly FG stunt, we need leadership now, not Vlad playing silly buggers

    why would he start now ?

    My weather

    https://www.ecowitt.net/home/share?authorize=96CT1F



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  • #7
    Tzardine
    Registered Users Posts: 3,884 ✭✭✭Tzardine


    Not a fan of the man at all.

    But I say fair play to him. Health service is under serious pressure and likely to get worse. Every little helps.

    People will sh1t on him just because.


  • #8
    elperello
    Registered Users Posts: 14,189 ✭✭✭✭elperello


    A shift a week will not impact on his ability to do the day job.

    Previous incumbents managed to spend their free time on race courses, in expensive restaurants etc. and do the job.


  • #9
    Amirani
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,521 Mod ✭✭✭✭Amirani


    Stanford wrote: »
    We elected FG to lead the Government and they elected Vlad to be Taoiseach, not a medical doctor.

    Another silly FG stunt, we need leadership now, not Vlad playing silly buggers

    The more that anyone capable can help out, the better. My partner who is a frontline doctor is certainly greatful for the support, however little.

    It's almost certainly more than you are doing.


  • #10
    nigeldaniel
    Registered Users Posts: 1,326 ✭✭✭nigeldaniel


    I think it's great that Leo has stepped up so much. He will be in the history books for a long time to come. A real hands-on type of guy.

    Dan.



  • #11
    Lonesomerhodes
    Closed Accounts Posts: 515 ✭✭✭Lonesomerhodes


    Its like one of those hunzo bunzo instagram wannabe types who do a stint collecting for the homeless one night and instagram and facebook it to death to show their virtue to the World for the next few years.

    Shameless publicity stunt.

    The man wants to stay put in his job as Taoisesch and knows how to play the media and public like a fiddle.

    Selfless Saint Leo is the message being pushed here.


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  • #12
    chicken foot
    Registered Users Posts: 165 ✭✭chicken foot


    I did not vote FG

    I am not a FG BOT/Shill/Blueshirt or any other variation.

    I quite enjoyed the Black & Tans getting to No 1 on the back of Leo's ridiculous commemoration plans back, what seems like, another era.

    I thought it was great that he was reduced to a count five before he got re-elected in Feb as I truly believed that he had lost touch with the heartbeat of this country.

    These past few weeks I will defy anyone to say a bad word about him and the work that he and his team have done during this pandemic. I will not hear it because it is not true.

    He is not without fault but this is his forte. his partner, sisters and brother in laws are all front line members in the Health Services, he is seeing this first hand and understands it better than most of us. His immediate family are putting their lives on the line and now he is too in whatever capacity he can. This is not a PR stunt, this isnt Trump flying into an Army Base to cheer on his cannon fodder before flying off again before any sign of danger. This is a man who is walking into ground zero whilst the place is still burning. I see Pearse Dohertys wife also returned to the front line. A woman with a family of four put herself in front also to fight this virus. Another example of extreme bravery from those who are trained to help others. If you can cheer on Mrs Doherty (which you should) you should bloody cheer on Leo too.

    This is not a political issue, anyone that makes it so goes against everything this country stands for and you should be ashamed of yourselves. Credit where its due folks.


  • #13
    Stheno
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 51,687 Mod ✭✭✭✭Stheno


    Amirani wrote: »
    The more that anyone capable can help out, the better. My partner who is a frontline doctor is certainly greatful for the support, however little.

    It's almost certainly more than you are doing.

    What it may so do is encourage retired doctors to volunteer for the same and help increase resources a little


  • #14
    Junkyard Tom
    Registered Users Posts: 10,117 ✭✭✭✭Junkyard Tom


    Let the FG circle-jerk commence.


  • #15
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,103 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    The true colours of a certain element (that are trying to make political capital out of a national emergency) are showing. Disgusting, but not exactly a surprise.


  • #16
    celt262
    Registered Users Posts: 3,366 ✭✭✭celt262


    Great leader getting into the trenches while others stay at home with a snotty nose.


  • #17
    Sleeper12
    Registered Users Posts: 16,867 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    I'm one of the many that believe FG have been terrible in the last two governments. I also see they have made many mistakes in the last two months but we seem to have been brought into a shut down quicker than most countries and that's a good thing. There is no rule book or blueprint for this virus. In fairness to the government they have gotten more right than wrong in the last few months.

    I saw Leo photographed in full emergency gear in the back of an ambulance before he became FG leader. That was a publicity stunt, no question about it but this one is different. He's doing the right thing. Plenty others are doing the same thing. Ciara Kelly is signing up in the same way. I don't believe this to be a publicity stunt at all


  • #18
    McMurphy
    Registered Users Posts: 13,365 ✭✭✭✭McMurphy


    celt262 wrote: »
    Great leader getting into the trenches while others stay at home with a snotty nose.

    He's answering the phone. Fairplay to him and all, every bit helps, but he's most definitely not "getting into the trenches".


  • #19
    PCeeeee
    Registered Users Posts: 1,465 ✭✭✭PCeeeee


    chicken foot wrote: »
    I did not vote FG

    I am not a FG BOT/Shill/Blueshirt or any other variation.

    I quite enjoyed the Black & Tans getting to No 1 on the back of Leo's ridiculous commemoration plans back, what seems like, another era.

    I thought it was great that he was reduced to a count five before he got re-elected in Feb as I truly believed that he had lost touch with the heartbeat of this country.

    These past few weeks I will defy anyone to say a bad word about him and the work that he and his team have done during this pandemic. I will not hear it because it is not true.

    He is not without fault but this is his forte. his partner, sisters and brother in laws are all front line members in the Health Services, he is seeing this first hand and understands it better than most of us. His immediate family are putting their lives on the line and now he is too in whatever capacity he can. This is not a PR stunt, this isnt Trump flying into an Army Base to cheer on his cannon fodder before flying off again before any sign of danger. This is a man who is walking into ground zero whilst the place is still burning. I see Pearse Dohertys wife also returned to the front line. A woman with a family of four put herself in front also to fight this virus. Another example of extreme bravery from those who are trained to help others. If you can cheer on Mrs Doherty (which you should) you should bloody cheer on Leo too.

    This is not a political issue, anyone that makes it so goes against everything this country stands for and you should be ashamed of yourselves. Credit where its due folks.

    Honestly I'm conflicted. One the one hand fair play to him for helping. On the other I wonder will it affect his ability to do his current job. I don't know. I have to assume he is in a better position than me to make that decision.

    However the 'walking into ground zero' stuff is sheer hyperbole. According to the Irish Times 'It is understood the Taoiseach is helping out in phone assessments'.


  • #20
    Plumbthedepths
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,653 ✭✭✭✭Plumbthedepths


    I dislike Leo, his politics and his party. Will never vote for him or his party, however he has my respect by this one act. Do I suspect it's a PR stunt prehaps but it will inspire others to get involved and more importantly his actions may actually help some people.
    So well done Leo, respect to you but all is not forgotten or forgiven.


  • #21
    statesaver
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,084 ✭✭✭statesaver


    Never waste a good PR opportunity, well played FG, well played.


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  • #22
    sheesh
    Registered Users Posts: 4,080 ✭✭✭sheesh


    you may hate him but as a person with a medical Degree and experience as a doctor and as taoiseach this is a perfectly valid thing for him to do in the circumstances we are in, even as a publicity stunt him getting stuck in (or just pretending to) is exactly what a prime minister of a country should be doing.


    Also please remember that the only other 2 options are Micheal Martin and Mary Lou McDonald pretty, good politicians in their own right but yeah not very impressive either


  • #23
    McMurphy
    Registered Users Posts: 13,365 ✭✭✭✭McMurphy


    Amirani wrote: »
    Are you going to say that to the countless GPs around the country triaging patients over the phone?

    Or the nurses who are doing follow up calls with Covid patients who have been sent to recover at home?

    I'm not sure if you've noticed, but phone calls from healthcare workers are incredibly ****ing important right now.

    I already said fairplay to him the health service needs all the help it can get, but I am not alone at recognising this for the PR stunt it is.

    On the GP part above, if a GP wants to tweet multiple times that they are triaging with patients over the phone, well yeah, I'd be tweeting back to them that they're doing their job brilliantly too.

    Brilliant - well done leo - doing your bit and getting in some much needed pr at the same time.


  • #24
    Manach
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,659 Mod ✭✭✭✭Manach


    This seems as sensible as Captain Smith of the Titantic joining the coalers after the iceberg hit. Mr. Varadkar had the opportunity to mitigate this by imposing some form of border controls early on. Instead his government sought to virtue signal ( e.g. ads for an abortion campaign being rolled out) and not to engage with all parties in some form of unity government that proved sucessful in other instances of a country's emergency.
    Dr. Varadker is to be highly praised as a someone willing to become a frontline worker, Mr. Varadker on the other hand might must be judged as not showing the leadership this country needed.


  • #25
    Ferm001
    Registered Users Posts: 125 ✭✭Ferm001


    Fair play to him, but plays a bit as a publicity stunt.

    Bigger risk is him becoming infected, and taking half the government into isolation.


  • #26
    Lonesomerhodes
    Closed Accounts Posts: 515 ✭✭✭Lonesomerhodes


    McMurphy wrote: »
    He's answering the phone. Fairplay to him and all, every bit helps, but he's most definitely not "getting into the trenches".

    Answering the phone? So hes going to be a receptionist?.

    Jokes aside those that fall for the St Leo propaganda why release the story to the press first? Why have a PR and spin team employed if he isnt into image and scoring political points?


    The same people baying for his blood 6 weeks ago at election time now fawn and go gooey eyed when his name is mentioned.
    Unbelieable.

    They will say hes doing a great job now.

    BALLS.

    Were the borders closed from day 1? Are they even closed now?

    Prevention is better than cure.


  • #27
    KiKi III
    Registered Users Posts: 2,653 ✭✭✭KiKi III


    McMurphy wrote: »
    He's answering the phone. Fairplay to him and all, every bit helps, but he's most definitely not "getting into the trenches".

    I think it's a good compromise. The last thing we need is him catching Covid-19 - doing phone triage is an important service he can help with without putting himself at risk.


  • #28
    bunderoon
    Registered Users Posts: 660 ✭✭✭bunderoon


    Sleeper12 wrote: »
    I'm one of the many that believe FG have been terrible in the last two governments. I also see they have made many mistakes in the last two months but we seem to have been brought into a shut down quicker than most countries and that's a good thing. There is no rule book or blueprint for this virus. In fairness to the government they have gotten more right than wrong in the last few months.

    I saw Leo photographed in full emergency gear in the back of an ambulance before he became FG leader. That was a publicity stunt, no question about it but this one is different. He's doing the right thing. Plenty others are doing the same thing. Ciara Kelly is signing up in the same way. I don't believe this to be a publicity stunt at all


    He is doing the right thing but it still is a stunt. Stunts and PR is his thing unfortunately.
    If he wanted to help, there is no reason why he couldnt have kept this quiet, even for a number of weeks since its just 8 hours a day on the phone..
    We are so easily impressed by people who do little things, it actually affects the front line people who do the important things.
    Every little helps but you'd be a fool if you think he is doing this to help others more than to help himself. You only have to look back at the last number of years to see this.


  • #29
    Hannibal
    Registered Users Posts: 1,815 ✭✭✭Hannibal


    MAJJ wrote: »
    Did FG not agree with FF to rotate the role of Taoiseach with Martin going first?
    I don't think that is quite true and judging at Eamon O'Cúiv comments on Twitter then MM might have some work to do in convincing his party to back his personal ambition.


  • #30
    KiKi III
    Registered Users Posts: 2,653 ✭✭✭KiKi III


    Sometimes an idea is both a PR opportunity and the right thing to do. This is one of those times.


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  • #31
    all about the mane
    Registered Users Posts: 1,401 ✭✭✭all about the mane


    Mary Loo must be raging she has a head cold. She’d be on the front line too otherwise...


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