Leo Varadkar: Difference between revisions
→Personal life: Add refs, wikilink |
No edit summary |
||
Line 88: | Line 88: | ||
[[Category:Living people]] |
[[Category:Living people]] |
||
[[Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Dublin]] |
[[Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Dublin]] |
||
[[Category:Conservatism in the Republic of Ireland]] |
|||
[[Category:Fine Gael politicians]] |
[[Category:Fine Gael politicians]] |
||
[[Category:Gay politicians]] |
[[Category:Gay politicians]] |
Revision as of 01:09, 25 May 2015
Leo Varadkar | |
---|---|
Minister for Health | |
Assumed office 11 July 2014 | |
Preceded by | James Reilly |
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport | |
In office 9 March 2011 – 11 July 2014 | |
Preceded by | Pat Carey |
Succeeded by | Paschal Donohoe |
Teachta Dála | |
Assumed office June 2007 | |
Constituency | Dublin West |
Personal details | |
Born | Dublin, Ireland | 18 January 1979
Political party | Fine Gael |
Alma mater | Trinity College, Dublin |
Website | www |
Leo Varadkar (born 18 January 1979) is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and the Minister for Health since 2014. A Young Fine Gael veteran and Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin West constituency since June 2007, he is a former vice-president of the Youth of the European People's Party and an alumnus of the Washington Ireland Program. He is a qualified medical doctor and the first openly gay Irish government minister.
Early life
Varadkar was born in Dublin, the son of an Indian father (a retired GP in Blanchardstown) and a mother from County Waterford. He studied at King's Hospital School, Palmerstown and Trinity College, where he earned a medical degree and joined Young Fine Gael.[1]
Personal life
During an interview on RTÉ on 18 January 2015 (his 36th birthday), Varadkar spoke publicly for the first time about being gay: "it’s not something that defines me. I'm not a half-Indian politician, or a doctor politician or a gay politician for that matter. It’s just part of who I am, it doesn’t define me, it is part of my character I suppose".[2] He is the first openly gay cabinet member in Ireland.[3] Varadkar was a prominent advocate of the same-sex marriage referendum.[4][5]
Political career
Varadkar was co-opted to Fingal County Council in 2003 as a replacement for Sheila Terry. At the 2004 local elections, he was elected to the council to represent the Castleknock local electoral area and topped the poll.[6] He is a former vice-president of the Youth of the European People's Party and an alumnus of the Washington Ireland Program. He was elected to Dáil Éireann at the 2007 general election,[7] and became party spokesperson for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from 2007–2010.
Ministerial career
At the 2011 general election, Varadkar was re-elected to Dáil Éireann with 8,359 first preference votes (a 19.7% share of the poll in a 4-seat constituency).[6] Fine Gael formed a coalition government with Labour and Varadkar was appointed Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport on 9 March 2011.[8] This was considered a surprise appointment as Varadkar was not renowned as a sports lover. He said that while he knew "a lot of facts...I don't play the sports."[9]
In May 2011, Varadkar suggested Ireland was "very unlikely" to resume borrowing in 2012 and might need a second bailout, causing jitters on international markets about Ireland's credibility.[10][11] Many of Varadkar's cabinet colleagues were not impressed with Varadkar's forthrightness; nor was the European Central Bank.[12][13] Taoiseach Enda Kenny repeated the Government line that the State would not require a further EU-IMF bailout and said he had warned all ministers against making negative public remarks about the economy.[14][15] Varadkar said that reaction to the story was hyped up but that he was not misquoted.[16] Responding to Varadkar's decision to express his opinion in public, Independent News & Media's Evening Herald paper described the minister as gaffe prone, as it had also done previously.[17][18]
In the cabinet reshuffle of July 2014, Varadkar replaced James Reilly as Minister for Health.[19][20]
References
- ^ "The Saturday Interview". The Irish Times. 20 November 2010.
- ^ "Leo Varadkar: 'I am a gay man', Minister says". The Irish Times. 18 January 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
- ^ "Irish Cabinet member tells nation he's gay, becomes Ireland's 1st openly gay government minister". Fox News.
- ^ "Leo Varadkar: 'I wanted to be an equal citizen . . . and today I am'". The Irish Times.
- ^ Nial O'Connor (23 May 2015). "10 factors behind the 'Yes' side's victory". Independent.ie.
- ^ a b "Leo Varadkar". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 8 September 2009.
- ^ "Mr. Leo Varadkar". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 8 September 2009.
- ^ "Noonan named as new Finance Minister". RTÉ News. 9 March 2011.
- ^ Sheahan, Fionnan (15 September 2011). "'True blue' Varadkar gets red card as Dáil officials flag problem". Irish Independent.
- ^ "To borrow a phrase, Minister". The Irish Times. 1 June 2011.
- ^ Bartha, Emese; Quinn, Eamon (30 May 2011). "Bond Auctions Test Contagion Fears". The Wall Street Journal.
- ^ Collins, Stephen; Beesley, Arthur (31 May 2011). "Cabinet colleagues angered at Varadkar bailout view". The Irish Times.
- ^ Noonan, Laura (10 June 2011). "Trichet talks 'verbal discipline' after Leo's gaffe". Irish Independent.
- ^ O'Regan, Michael; O'Halloran, Marie (31 May 2011). "State 'won't require' second bailout". The Irish Times.
- ^ Sheahan, Fionnan; Kelpie, Colm (1 June 2011). "Kenny lays down law to ministers after Varadkar's gaffe on bailout". Irish Independent.
- ^ "Bailout comments were 'hyped up' – Varadkar". RTÉ News. 2 June 2011.
- ^ "New gaffe is just one of a growing list". Evening Herald. 30 May 2011.
- ^ "Leo won't become king of the political jungle with his roaring gaffes". Evening Herald. 5 September 2008.
- ^ "Taoiseach announces new Cabinet". RTÉ News. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ Kelly, Fiach (11 July 2014). "Leo Varadkar to replace Reilly as Minister for Health". The Irish Times. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
External links
- 1979 births
- Living people
- Alumni of Trinity College, Dublin
- Fine Gael politicians
- Gay politicians
- Irish medical doctors
- Irish people of Indian descent
- Local councillors in Fingal
- LGBT politicians from Ireland
- Members of the 30th Dáil
- Members of the 31st Dáil
- Ministers for Health (Ireland)
- Ministers for Transport (Ireland)
- People educated at The King's Hospital
- People from Castleknock
- Politicians from County Dublin
- Teachtaí Dála
- Young Fine Gael