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A tight-lipped Leo Varadkar in Dublin this morning Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

'I wouldn’t dare do such a thing': After Enda's scolding, Leo isn't talking about the Budget this week

The Health Minister was remaining tight-lipped about the Budget this morning.

EXACTLY A WEEK ago Leo Varadkar went on Morning Ireland and suggested that a tax cut in the Budget could mean “an extra fiver or tenner in your payslip every week”.

His comments caused consternation in Government Buildings and earned the relatively new Health Minister a sharp rebuke from Taoiseach Enda Kenny who insisted that no decisions had been taken in relation to Budget 2015.

This was largely seen as Kenny administering a ‘slap down’ or ‘scolding’ to the renowned straight-talker Varadkar who had become the first minister to put an actual figure on the benefit any tax cut will have to hard-pressed workers.

This prompted Varadkar to insist that he didn’t mind being slapped down or scolded. He told reporters at the Fine Gael think-in in Cork last Thursday:

“I’m a big boy and I am willing to take a degree of criticism from time to time. But at the same time this isn’t about me, it’s not about my dignity, it’s not about my ego.”

Then Leo, who had been up singing (badly) until the small hours of Friday morning, was pictured having a cup of tea with his party leader and it was all grand.

12/9/2014. Day Two of the Fine Gael Think-In. Taoi Eamonn Farrell / Photocall Ireland Eamonn Farrell / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

It seems the Health Minister has got the message now because when we asked about the Budget this morning he was remaining extremely tight-lipped.

Specifically, we put to him a story on the front of the Irish Independent today that the average family could benefit by around €300 a year from a tax cut in the Budget.

“Surely, you’re not asking me to speculate on the detail of the Budget?” Varadkar laughed. “I wouldn’t dare do such a thing.”

Is the Minister not allowed talk about the Budget any more then? “Well, you heard the Taoiseach’s comments on that… ,” he responded.

Then he pivoted to a line that you can expect to hear all government ministers trot out over the next few weeks:

“We’re really only starting to get into detailed budget discussions at the moment. There’s still a lot of moving parts and no decisions are made at this stage.”

Whatever the Taoiseach said – if he said anything at all – it’s clearly had the desired effect.

Read: Public row? what public row?.. Enda’s trying to draw a line under the Varadkar spat

‘It’s just not true’: Leo insists the government didn’t cook the books

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    Mute CrabaRev
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    Feb 26th 2019, 8:42 AM

    @Ann Lennon:
    From reading this and other articles, it would appear that the “fall from grace” was in his mind.
    A much more pertinent question, was the councillor with with whom he had 10 sessions suitably qualified to determine whether Hawe was a danger to himself or his family? I think “the two felt a connection.” is an extraordinary statement.

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    Mute James Wallace
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    Feb 26th 2019, 9:44 AM

    @John Jones: the point is they don’t know. The gardai won’t release the files and the school has never once contacted the family.

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    Mute James Wallace
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    Feb 26th 2019, 11:32 AM

    @John Jones: no, not a deliberate cover up, but the family are entiteled to some answers to their legitimate questions. The fact that the school has never contacted these people is not speculation, it’s fact, according to them.

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    Mute Anthony Gallagher
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    Feb 26th 2019, 10:32 AM

    Tragic and cruel, but there are far too many experts on here giving their twopence worth.If only mental health was that easy to diagnose,leave it to those that have some idea what they are talking about .

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    Mute Matt Beaumont
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    Feb 26th 2019, 10:41 AM

    @Anthony Gallagher: well obviously they didn’t in that case.

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    Mute John Jones
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    Feb 26th 2019, 10:46 AM

    @James Wallace: Do you think theres a cover up. I think it’s sad how there’s a massive slight being put on the school based on pure speculation.

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    Mute Jane
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    Feb 26th 2019, 2:18 PM

    @CrabaRev: I dont think it’s true to say the fall from grace was in his head. From the Independent.

    He has said in his own words that he was caught red-handed and we do know that he was looking at pornography….

    “We’ve had sight of the counselling notes and he had said he was masturbating somewhere that he shouldn’t have been… So we have pieces of information but we don’t know who caught him.
    “We do know, in the June, he cancelled all his counselling sessions and this all happened the day before he was to return to school,” she said. “He said that it was easier for them to die than to have to live with the truth of what he was doing.”

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    Mute Pauline Gallagher
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    Feb 26th 2019, 8:10 PM

    @Jane: The counselor said that he said this?? She was in a position to go to gardai with this information; patient confidentiality goes out the window when there is a real risk to life. Did she pass this information onto the guards before the murders?

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    Mute CrabaRev
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    Feb 26th 2019, 4:54 PM

    @Jane: I replied to your comment, but my comment was deleted for some weird Journal.ie reason. What you have just quoted from the Indo was a quote from Clodagh’s sister.

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    Mute GerryCummins
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    Feb 27th 2019, 12:19 AM

    It seems it is about the will, and who gets what! Which family benefits from the assets left over…I was wondering why this case had come up again. It is petty infighting between family…..over the assets left behind…

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    Mute Maria Hickey-Fagan
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    Feb 27th 2019, 12:57 AM

    @GerryCummins: would you ever stop. This is a broken, devastated family looking for answers.

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    Mute Anne O'Brien
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    Feb 28th 2019, 4:33 AM

    This Family needs answers, why do they not have the full story. Release all records if you will not share the truth. That councillor statement is bizarre, and a big worry if you ask me. Badly done school. I say wow Mammy, Sister, Granmother, and Aunt you are now fighting for the defenseless I really hope you get your answers. Why O Why

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    Mute helen walsh
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    Feb 27th 2019, 12:40 AM

    My comments are constantly removed, who is behind that? Is my personal information being given to cronies..

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