The government’s crushing defeat in the Care and Family referendums almost two weeks ago was not the reason for Leo Varadkar’s resignation today, Minister Eamon Ryan has said.
Speaking in the wake of Varadkar’s announcement that he would be stepping down as Fine Gael leader and Taoiseach, Ryan said he didn’t believe the referendums played a significant factor in the decision.
“I don’t think so,” the Green Party leader said.
“I mean, obviously you take everything into account in politics. But I don’t think it was the defining reason. I don’t think it was the sole reason for the timing.”
He said that while it may have been “one of the elements” that contributed to the choice, there were likely other more significant factors at play.
“I think the timing was wider – we’ve got budgets in place, we have functioning Good Friday institutions, I think there’s a gap before the Local and European elections. And that timing probably influenced him more than the referendum.”
He added: “I think probably, as Taoiseach, he wanted to get through with us to try and deliver the referendum and get the result. But I don’t think the result of that referendum was the key factor in his decision.”
During the Taoiseach’s emotional resignation address, he said he was “proud” that he has made Ireland a “more equal and more modern place” on a variety of issues, such as the rights of “the LGBT community”, “equality for women and their bodily autonomy.,” and more.
“More recently, we have led the country through an inflation and cost of living crisis, the worst of which is now thankfully behind us,” he said.
“…I am proud that we, the Irish people, welcomed over 100,000 Ukrainian refugees to our shores when they needed our protection, notwithstanding the challenges this brings.
“In my time as Taoiseach, we reduced consistent poverty and income inequality. Housing construction has more than doubled, with five hundred people becoming homeowners every week for the first time – the highest number in almost two decades.”
He concluded by saying: “…I’d like to finish by thanking the people of Ireland for giving me the opportunity to serve them. I promise I will keep working for Ireland and my community in any way I can in the future.”
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You could have left the title at just “RYAN DOESN’T THINK”. Its likely Leo knows about something imminent and unpleasant that the rest of them haven’t spotted yet. Some other scandal about to emerge.
This was my first thought when I read the headline.
I have not heard a single well reasoned argument by Ryan.
For him ideology trumps logic.
My kids think he exhibits cult behaviour.
And that’s just at an occasional listen.
The recent Referendum result was a serious wake -up call for the UniParties of the Dail.
Apart from AONTU, all were united in opposition to the ‘Will of the People’,( as exemplified by the result from the enclave of liberalism in D4) and the destruction of our Protective Constitution including the controlled NGO sector , RTE and print Media
That and the departure of 10 FG TD’s were a clear indication to Varadkar that his Party was doomed in the next Elections, Local,European and General.
To avoid the humiliation of losing his seat at the next General Election, Varadkar decided to resign,to protect adulteration of his CV.
His climb of the greasy pole will continue in Brussels or the UN, where he will be at home with his fellow compromised members of the ‘club of chaos’ creators.
He only scraped in the last General Election on the 5th re-count, He was never a popular candidate in his constituency and by accounts was disinterested in tackling local concerns.
One down, and we need to rid Ireland of the remainder of the failed Uniparty of FG/FF/SF/G/LAB/SD/PBP, who have never had the interests of the Irish People as their primary concern. but rather the destruction of the Irish Nation by Plantation and discrimination against the Irish People in their insane reckless poilcies of Mass Migration.
Reminds me of the sudden resignation of Nicola Sturgeon
Varadkar by his own admission went in to the referendums expecting easy victories. Instead of that he got an almighty kick in the testicles. He knows the game is up. He started out in politics with a reputation as something of a Tatcherite but turned in to a poster boy for left wing NGOs. I think it is impossible to separate Varadkars resignation from the recent referendums. He is going now to try and take the pressure off of the rest of them. He can cry all he wants, the fact remains that he failed both as a Tatcherite and as a left wing globalist. A 96% vote against the government proposals shows that they have lost the trust of the people. There are a lot more of them who should follow his lead.
They’ll get their marching papers on election day. Ya can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time
But will they be replaced by anything better.
Gosh Frank, all we can do is give some new tribe a go. If we keep doing the same thing (voting the same way), we’ll get what we always got.
I think the EU have too much of a foothold and until WEF & WHO stop running the show, we’re pretty much at their mercy. To completely normalise decimating Tourism, filling hotels with migrants is totally crazy. No end in sight either.
Naturally enough, I don’t have a subscription to the Irish Times – its website seems to have an article saying Simon Harris is the frontrunner to succeed Varadkar – I can’t imagine a bigger gift to those who want a fundamental realignment in Irish politics (i.e. in terms of another nail in FG’s coffin) than an accession of Harris to power. The grimaces and barely concealed contempt for others that are discernible on Harris’s face – in situations where things aren’t going his way – will probably result in Harris being the most unpopular Taoiseach ever !
I used to have an IT subscription.
The comments mocking the orthodoxy promoted by the IT, as rigid and intolerant as the Catholic orthodoxy of myth (reality was far more complex and tolerant) were the only things worth reading in it,
But then, two years ago, they stopped allowing comments on articles AND memory-holed comments on archived articles.
.
Subscription cancelled immediately
Riots, Referendums and Country Wide Immigration Protests have made it clear he does not represent the will of the people. It’s just the beginning, we need to keep up the pressure and ensure we remove these amadans from the political landscape at the next elections. Vote them out and defund the NGOs.
Keep an eye on Seanad schedule and meetings abroad
Be great if he jumped off the sinking ship with the rest of the rats
If he just perched himself on the south facing window sill.
And stayed there!
He resigned because his bosses told him to over the referendum failure. They knew then there was no chance of him completing their agenda. The rest of them need to go now. Changing the leader won’t do anything.
Now that the chopping block is out we might as well put O’Gorman , Ryan, Martin’S, Donnelly, o’donoughue ,etc etc on the block and warn the rest of the idiots that Ireland and it’s people are expecting them to do their job and clean the mess up starting with defunding the NGO’s, close down RTE and this is just the start. Now get on with it, oh by the way the Dail Bar is permanently closed and the toilet’s are banned for coke snorting.
“For Ireland and my community”. Let there be no doubt about it, his community is the LGHDTV community and the vast majority of us aren’t in that group. What sounds like a nice thing to say is typically fork-tongued double-speak for ‘eff all of you I’m just here for my lads’.
And that was always part of the problem Leo, you weren’t our Taoiseach, you were just the Taoiseach for your lads and you didn’t give a damn about the rest of us. Delighted you’re gone, I just hope whomever replaces you has the common sense and intelligence to realise that “more of the same” will make things much, MUCH worse.
These are the basic tenets of who we are and what we want as Irish people (I believe). If FG can’t or won’t implement these then we’ll find someone who will.
Headllne should just read
“Ryan doesn’t think”
and that would be accurate
It was because of his speech in the whitehouse. You can check the comments on politicsjoe youtube channel on Leo’s speech in the white house.
Any clever politician in fg will now get there hat out of the ring with regard to the top job. What they need is someone they can sacrifice for a short period of time before the election because let’s face it they ain’t returning to the seat. Harris is just thick enough. Leo has done exactly what bertie done in 2008. Fg are now snookered and they all know it. Pitty they done so much damage with there ffg buddies that it can’t be reversed. They finished ireland off before they lost the plot.
Hate Speech Migration Pact WHO Treaty all before June election
Minister Ryan like all coalition members is refusing to accept the will of the people,if he does not answer the missing children of tusla horror story then the green party should be suspended.WHERE ARE THE MISSING CHILDREN .
Irrespective of the issue in question i.e. the recent Referendums, Irish people will vote according to their perspective of their Government at the time. Hence, the huge defeat was not about “women” or “family” but about giving our Government “a bloody nose”! The Green party will be front and central to that dis-satisfaction!
I Suggest a look at Article 28 of Bunracht na h-Éireann 1937 will explain quiet clearly what is happening with The Government Parties a the moment, or to be more explicit, what should be happening with ALL 15 Members of the Current Government as they were deemed automatically RESIGNED when Leo resigned. Martin, Harris and Ryan, along with the rest are deemed resigned. Click on the following link: Irish Statute Book an enter in Article 28 Bunracht na h-Éireann 1937 Article 28.11.1, in fact read the whole article, its not too long. One might glance at what the Bunracht has to say about the a Government that loses a referendum..