Leo Varadkar to step down as Taoiseach

[LookItsMeAgain]

Breaking news.

This is currently on the RTE News Now app and on the BBC World news service that Leo is about to make an announcement that he is stepping down as Taoiseach and will not be leading FG into the next election.

I wonder who becomes Taoiseach then? Does Micheal Martin step back up to the role???

Helen McEntee's election off the back of her fathers' death is one of the problems in Irish politics. We need experienced, good politicians, not family members running because they'll get voted in because their family member was or is popular. If I remember correctly, McEntee had no experience as a politician in her own right, although was familiar with the Oireachtas. The electorate need to be more discerning when voting. It is unimportant who a candidate is related to. What's important is their policies, experience, morals, actions etc. There are, in my view, no inspiring politicians I Ireland.

It must have been her mother and her new man singing her praises in Kerry last summer.

Helen McEntee saying it's safe in Dublin yet her government minister Mary Butler says she's given up going near Grafton Street on her lunch break as she doesn't feel safe.

DublinFemale
Her father committed suicide in 2012 I think, he was being investigated for corruption I think, creating a by election
You think wrong, he was not being investigated for corruption, that would be a smear against somebody who died in tragic circumstances.

The Political Dynasty thing is a problem all right, but there must be a shrinking field of candidates willing to put themselves forward - who needs abuse that goes way beyond valid political criticism? If they do run for office, they are only doing it to 'get their noses in the trough' and deserve all the abuse they get.

I don't know how to improve the calibre of politician, and the calibre of political debate. It was hoped at the time that Shane McEntee's suicide would lead to more rational debate and less personal abuse, but clearly that didn't happen.

Regarding the online abuse claim,

That may or may not be true. Helen McEntee.

m.independent.ie/irish-news/helen-mcentee-td-ive-been-angry-over-dads-death-but-ive-learned-i-cant-change-what-happened/31113712.html

Moving the focus away from any particular TD.

No one should be elected purely down to family name, regardless of party.

We need strong honest politicians and that is simply not happening.

There are lots of politicians I have profound disagreements with - Helen McEntee being one of them - but I wouldn't imply that they are not honest.

It's possible to believe that a politician is wrong, misguided, whatever, but that doesn't mean that they can't also be a sincere, honest and diligent public servant.

Dáil speeches and committee transcripts suggest that there are lots of sincere, honest and diligent people in the Oireachtas - some humdingers of eejits too obviously☺
Politicians deserve merciless but fair and focused political critique, but also credit where credit is due - those moments where a government TD says 'I understand where the Deputy is coming from, but...' or an Opposition TD says 'I understand the Minister's position, but....' are golden.

I agree, somewhat. There are many politicians I disagree with but that doesn't mean my view is right or that they are being dishonest in their view or actions. For example, I didn't agree with some of the decisions Brian Lenihan made during the financial crisis but believe he made them because he thought they were the right decisions to make, so they were made with the right intentions, in my view. However, Leo Varadkar has been proven to be dishonest. He leaked the GP contract and only admitted it when the evidence was put on Twitter. He downplayed it as an 'error of judgment' when it was, in fact, against the law.