Politics

Leo Varadkar says there is no ‘scandal’ that prompted decision to quit as Taoiseach

Outgoing Taoiseach says he is ‘not interested in any form of ministerial office’

The Taoiseach has said that a contest to replace him as leader of Fine Gael is "beneficial, but not essential." Video: EU Commission
Pat Leahy
Fri Mar 22 2024 - 13:53

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will not serve in Cabinet under a new taoiseach, he said this morning in Brussels as he attends his last European Council meeting.

Asked if he would serve in a new Cabinet if asked by the new taoiseach, Mr Varadkar was emphatic: “No, no, no,” he said, “not interested in any form of ministerial office, so if asked I will refuse, if nominated I will decline – but no, definitely not”.

He repeated, however, that he had not made up his mind whether he would run in the next general election.

Asked if he would recall the Dáil early to elect a new taoiseach if as expected Simon Harris is only one nominee for the Fine Gael leadership next Monday, Mr Varadkar said he had “no plans to do that unless the three party leaders ask me to. If they ask me – happy to but no plans to do that.

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“And I’m conscious that it is the Easter break and TDs, Senators, Dáil staff will have made arrangements, so if the three leaders ask me, no difficulty personally.”

Mr Varadkar was also asked if there was any reason that had not yet emerged for his shock announcement this week.

“I think the question you’re asking me is – is there some kind of scandal that’s about to break that I’m aware of. There isn’t is the straight answer to that. I understand the need for conspiracy theories, and speculation, but that’s simply not the case,” he told reporters.

“That’s not to say that somebody isn’t going to throw some allegation at me tomorrow, next week or in a few months’ time that I’m not aware of now that will be a load of rubbish like most of them are and people will then turn around and say: ‘Aha! That’s the real reason’, but that’s not the – like, if you want to do that, fine.”

He declined to say anything about the Fine Gael leadership until nominations next Monday, except to say that whoever becomes leader will have full support.

Mr Varadkar welcomed the decision of EU leaders last night to agree on a call for a humanitarian pause followed by a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza.

He said it was a “very significant step I think in the right direction ... to see at long last the European Union has a position that is calling for a ceasefire”.

“Of course,” he said, “the European Union calling for a ceasefire and now it would seem the US is doing the same thing now doesn’t make it happen. What’s necessary is that the parties to the conflict agree to a ceasefire ... and we need to put as much pressure on them as possible to make that happen.”

On Friday, in a statement, Mr Varadkar and the prime ministers of Malta, Slovenia and Spain said they met in the margins of the European Council to share views on the situation in Gaza and the Middle East.

They welcomed the “conclusions adopted by the European Council” yesterday and said they were “agreed on the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of hostages and a rapid, massive and sustained increase of humanitarian aid into Gaza”.

“We are agreed that the only way to achieve lasting peace and stability in the region is through implementation of a two-state solution, with Israeli and Palestinian States living side-by-side, in peace and security,” they added.

“We discussed together our readiness to recognise Palestine and said that we would do so when it can make a positive contribution and the circumstances are right,” said Mr Varadkar; Robert Abela, prime minister of Malta; Robert Golob, prime minister of Slovenia; and Pedro Sánchez, prime minister of Spain.

Pat Leahy

Pat Leahy

Pat Leahy is Political Editor of The Irish Times