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LEO VARADKAR HAS reiterated that the Government has no intention of repealing the 8th amendment in the Constitution.
Speaking in the Dáil this afternoon, the Health Minister said that he would not be expressing his personal opinion on the matter, rather the stance of the Government.
Independent TD Clare Daly asked Varadkar what he thought of Ireland’s current abortion legislation “as a doctor and a young man”.
His response?
“l’ll give my opinion as a doctor and a young man at a later stage. Right now I’m the Minister for Health and the Government position is [that it will not be repealed].”
Daly said that Ireland was “failing to address our abortion reality”, noting that recent opinion polls show the general public is largely in favour of extending abortion laws.
Varadkar noted that while many people might like to see terminations made available in the cases of rape or fatal foetal abnormalities, most do not support “abortion on demand”.
Daly said that the recent Ms Y case had highlighted the inadequacies of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act passed last year.
The minister stated that he would review the report into that particular case once he received it.
“It’s quite clear we don’t need any further reports,” Daly replied.
Varadkar said it “bothers” him that people on both sides of the argument say everything that happened in relation to the Ms Y case “confirmed their pre-existing view of things”.
The minister denied that he had abandoned universal health insurance, but admitted it would not be delivered by 2019, as envisioned in the white paper compiled by his predecessor James Reilly.
We’re not parking [UHI] at all.
Fianna Fáil’s health spokesperson Billy Kelleher remarked: “If ye were so committed to it you’d think you’d have done a bit more research into it first.”
When Kelleher said his party favoured a tax-backed insurance system, Varadkar stated: “You’ve kind of let the cat out of the bag in terms of your own posse.”
He asked Kelleher what tax increases Fianna Fáil would propose to raise the billions such a system would require.
Varadkar said that “there’s never going to be an end point” in terms of reforming health services due to the nature of the field and advances in medicine.
He spoke of the importance of moving services from big hospitals to smaller ones, citing the minor injuries unit in Roscommon – which he had visited on Saturday – as “a good example of small hospital providing a service that those of us who are in Cork or Dublin would love to be able to offer our constituents”.
Varadkar said that he can’t speculate on the upcoming Budget but added that he won’t be asking for extra funding next year – rather for the €14.1 billion allocated for 2014 to remain untouched.
Vardakar noted that the the health budget had been reduced by about €2 billion since 2008, stating that no other department had made such a large contribution “to helping our country balance the books – I think it’s important to put it on the record”.
He said that while current estimates showed that the HSE would overspend by €500 million in 2014, this figure didn’t not include potential additional costs such as medical negligence payouts.
“As with any forecast there is a certain degree of uncertainty.”
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if he gave his own personal opinion he would be classed as a fool and if he doesnt he’s a coward. regardless hes a damned sight better than wreck it o reilly
Leo Varadker had an opinion he didn’t express? Never thought I’d see the day! (And eagerly await replies relating pots and kettles)
Varadkar would gut any one of you with a blunt butter knife if you were stupid enough to stand between him and the cozy, extremely wealthy retirement he is lining up for himself.
- Do you know what Mary Harney the morally vacuous blimp that used to sit in the Health Ministers chair did today while you were all at work and your kids were all in Creche?
She sat there pressing F5 on her internet banking page watching the numbers increase and laughing at us and our stupidity…..
Well considering he is in his 30′s and legislation reforms mean he can’t access his pension until he is 65, that is a bit of an irrelevant point.
Can’t understand why someone would spend so many years studying to be a doctor, only to go into politics. Seems like a complete waste of money, time and a college place to me.
Indian father. Three choices scientist, doctor or lawyer. Maybe a lecturer. Few other professions are acceptable to Indian middle class parents.
But he doesn’t practice, I don’t think he ever has, so he may as well not be.
He’ll earn more with less effort lying to the voting public than he ever would have as a GP which coincidentally also involves duping the public and earning a ridiculous wage for SFA…
Truth is GPs mainly take in cash for doing nothing – they then just refer you to nearest A&E department if there’s any real worry or uncertainty involved.
“A young man ” he’s 3 years older than me and I wouldn’t think of myself as a young man in any stretch of the imagination .
However, given the average age in the Dáil he’s like Junior Infants.
I’ll assume then you are 32.
Considering most people don’t actually start their careers until their mid to late 20′s, once training and education are finally done, i think people in their 30′s are fairly young all in all (this may be my own grasping at straws – like Varadkar, I am 35)
To quote one of the ladies in Sex & The City “oh to be a young girl of 35 again”
Well done Clare Daly for continuing to stand up to these cowards
Our Leo is going the way of the grey haired politician following the party line and afraid to speak out I case Kenny the teacher gets out his stick and gives him 5 across the open palm and knuckles . That will teach ya says Lenny and Leo says ” sorry sir I won’t do it again” . Wait till I tell your mother says kenny … FFS where is this country going !!!!!!
Coward.
F3ck, I agree with something Clare Daly said!! I need a shower.
Damn autocorrect . COWARD
Him has an opinion and will not state it? This guy is been spoken of as a future “leader” of FG? Some leader he will make.
“as a doctor and as a young man”…. do either qualify Leo in a better way than anyone else in this or any matter…am very surprised at a Socialist like Claire been so elitist
Coeatd
To go near abortion or anything to do with it before a general election would be political suicide. The conservative lines of most parties are being engraved in concrete atm. Its a time to worry for liberal ireland as conservative groups get their spoke in. Francis fitzgerald has all ready been gotten to by the immigrant council.
have your say