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Sam Boal

New poll says people want Leo Varadkar to be the next leader of Fine Gael

44% of people said they’d like to see him take over when Enda Kenny steps down.

LEO VARADKAR IS the preferred next leader of Fine Gael.

The findings are contained in a Claire Byrne Live/Amárach Research poll for TheJournal.ie that was carried out this week.

The question asked was: “Who would you like to see lead Fine Gael after Enda Kenny?”

A total of 44% per cent of respondents chose Varadkar – currently minister for social protection.

Housing Minister Simon Coveney was the second most-popular choice at 34% and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald was in third place, with 22% of respondents saying they’d like to see her as the next leader of Fine Gael.

Graph

Kenny has said he wants to remain in office for the duration of the Dáil term, but has conceded he won’t lead the party into the next general election.

Varadkar was most popular with 25 to 34-year-olds. Of that age group, 58% chose him as their preferred next leader.

He fared less well with the 45 to 54 age group – 39% of that age group chose him, with 41% instead opting for Coveney.

Fitzgerald was most popular with 18 to 24-year-olds (36%) but least popular with 25 to 34-year-olds.

Varadkar was the most popular choice in Dublin (48%), Leinster (45%) and Connaught (46%). However Coveney was the preferred next leader in his home province of Munster with 43%.

The poll was conducted by Amárach Research on 16 May. The survey panel comprises more than 1,000 adults who all own a smartphone. More details here.

Read: Majority of Irish people think water charges should be refunded to those who paid

Read: More people would prefer a fresh election to a Fine Gael minority-led government

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    Mute Setrakian
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    May 18th 2016, 6:08 AM

    One of the biggest failures in recent memory – delivered nothing as minister for health other than excuses and sound bytes- speaks volumes about the average blue shirt supporter if the poll is accurate. In fairness – looking at the other choices perhaps he’s the best of a really bad lot.

    187
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    Mute Josephine Sweeney
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    May 18th 2016, 6:39 AM

    All the single ladies like him though

    43
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    Mute Teddington
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    May 18th 2016, 6:41 AM

    Leo was put in health to chastise him as Enda was worried about the potential leadership threat! I wouldn’t judge anyone by their performance in health, it’s dysfunctional and thanks to the union’s it always will be.

    115
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    Mute Josephine Sweeney
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    May 18th 2016, 6:51 AM

    He has made the single women of Ireland like him more after he complained so vehemently about the health portfolio, they want a massive HSE with a lot more money and so does Leo

    25
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    Mute Assel Dannourah
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    May 18th 2016, 7:09 AM

    He messed up, he will never deliver anything but sound bytes but I guess all women have a lot in common with him

    51
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    Mute LITTLEONE
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    May 18th 2016, 7:29 AM

    So people that support fg want leo. A man who failed miserably as minister of health. That figures…

    69
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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    May 18th 2016, 7:48 AM

    He’d loads to say about everyone else’s portfolio bar his own. He’s a talking shop.

    74
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    Mute Anthony Byrne
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    May 18th 2016, 7:49 AM

    Saw Francis Fitzgerald on TV last night. Cringeworthy. You could tell by her face that she didn’t believe a word she was saying. How does she expect anyone else to believe her ?

    160
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    Mute ciaran
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    May 18th 2016, 8:19 AM

    the AG’S advice has already been shown to be wrong, it seems to be a case of brazen it out for o Sullivan and fitzgerald
    Claire daly and mick Wallace played a blinder yesterday in the dail as for ff ? they were in the bar at the time

    97
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    Mute Owen Lynch
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    May 18th 2016, 9:55 AM

    And they were on the TAB.

    34
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    Mute john g mcgrath
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    May 18th 2016, 6:41 AM

    “It was like this when I got here”

    142
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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    May 18th 2016, 7:46 AM

    It’s like which woman would you like to sleep with your husband! What a choice!

    78
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    Mute David Mc Shite
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    May 18th 2016, 8:01 AM

    Deborah….. The answer would still be Leo.

    83
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    Mute shane o malley
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    May 18th 2016, 1:39 PM

    makes sense for leo to replace ends,,, one muppet puppet replaces another

    16
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    Mute f m
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    May 18th 2016, 6:15 AM

    The minister for everything else other than his own position.
    Sound bites on everything else in the last few years except the state of our hospitals.

    Whenever he was questioned about health in the last couple of years his reply was ‘ yes I am gay” *

    * let me just point out its totally fine to be gay obviously, but since it has no bearing on his job why did he bring it up so much ?

    # to hide his complete incompetence

    129
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    Mute The IMF are here
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    May 18th 2016, 6:18 AM

    ‘How ignorant can a post be’.

    I think you’ll win that today.

    38
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    Mute Kari Lee
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    May 18th 2016, 6:30 AM

    f m Hit the nail on the head

    73
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    Mute john Appleseed
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    May 18th 2016, 6:35 AM

    They will still be Fine Gael. They all share the same policies, ethos and dodgy buddies.

    118
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    Mute Marg murphy
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    May 18th 2016, 8:01 AM

    Varadkar used to be an original thinker. Then Enda started grooming him and he went native. Now he’s just another Irish Water mouthpiece.

    73
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    Mute Tweed Cap
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    May 18th 2016, 7:04 AM

    If he was a chocolate biscuit he’d ate himself.

    115
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    Mute ciaran
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    May 18th 2016, 8:25 AM

    and if he was a bottle of p!ss he’d want to be called lucozade leo, even bear grills would have trouble swallowing that

    52
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    Mute Martin Byrne
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    May 18th 2016, 6:05 AM

    The choices are like asking which deadly poison would you like to swallow.

    114
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    Mute Richard Cronin
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    May 18th 2016, 9:36 AM

    Or who is your favourite member of ISiS

    16
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    Mute glen curtis
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    May 18th 2016, 6:22 AM

    I wouldn’t let him lead a marching band in the local parade never mind lead a nation

    98
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    Mute Martin Smith
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    May 18th 2016, 7:22 AM

    the minister of spin and it happened before i took over

    93
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    Mute David Clarke
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    May 18th 2016, 7:26 AM

    Can not believe people are fooled him a snakybollox if ever there was one talks about everything eles apart from the job he has

    83
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    Mute Tony Ornery G
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    May 18th 2016, 8:00 AM

    Isn’t it time for Enda to toddle along…?
    https://trickstersworld.com/2016/05/17/kick-the-can/

    75
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    Mute Jackie Fetherston
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    May 18th 2016, 6:58 AM

    I wouldn’t want Leo varadkar to polish my shoes

    71
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    Mute Willy
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    May 18th 2016, 7:50 AM

    Well he is minister for all, not good at any. Has opinion on everything and is a complete tool. Man for job..

    66
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    Mute TTIP McGowan
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    May 18th 2016, 8:22 AM

    Not ‘people’. Fine Gael supporters want Leo to be the next leader.

    61
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    Mute Steve McMahon
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    May 18th 2016, 6:56 AM

    Pass the baton from one snake to another

    59
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    Mute Trevor Beale
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    May 18th 2016, 7:25 AM

    It’s a sad state of affairs when they’re the three options. Leo didn’t have a whole lot of competition to beat.

    52
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    Mute ciaran
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    May 18th 2016, 8:12 AM

    trevor, lets have a contest… dail eireann’s got talent, or did we just have one of those? is this the next heat/round?
    passsscal Donoghue is my mary boyle only in reverssse, if that makes sssenssssse?

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    Mute Rob Cahill
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    May 18th 2016, 8:56 AM

    “Varadkar was most popular with 25 to 34-year-olds. Of that age group, 58% chose him as “their” preferred next leader.”

    SO they just asked Fine Gael supporters?

    48
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    Mute Joe Phillips
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    May 18th 2016, 4:52 PM

    Of course. More shameless Leophilic spin from the Journal

    4
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    Mute Gus Dennis
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    May 18th 2016, 8:08 AM

    No.Veradker is another control freak like Kenny, who is still around despite the very clear views of the electorate.

    48
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    Mute Ciaran OHalloran
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    May 18th 2016, 6:42 AM

    Oliver Callan will have fun with this

    48
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    Mute Allen McConnell
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    May 18th 2016, 8:54 AM

    A good politician thinks of solutions not problems. Varadkar talks about how the problems were not his fault!

    45
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    Mute Neil bradwell
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    May 18th 2016, 8:54 AM

    Was the question which pompous pr@&k you you like to see lead FG to the next election

    42
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    Mute Pat Maher
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    May 18th 2016, 7:18 AM

    Surely Convey would be better. All I’ve seen Leo do in health is shrug and say isn’t it terrible at the problems he should be trying to solve.

    He is a mothpiece, the country needs a decisive LEADER.

    40
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    Mute Chewy_Burton
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    May 18th 2016, 8:45 AM

    Coveney is a filthy dirty, sucking off Sutherland snake. Sutherland is grooming coveney for bilderberg and signing away Ireland to the highest bidders. These people are absolute vermin of the highest order and need to be removed from the grooming table

    33
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    Mute My name is God
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    May 18th 2016, 7:00 AM

    He deserves to lead the country, after all look at the great job he did reducing the waiting times on the trolleys in the hospitals, how many were we up to? Over 500 at one point if my memory serves me.

    36
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    Mute gus sheridan
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    May 18th 2016, 7:45 AM

    It really does notmatter who is leader, its like choosing the right steward to re-arrange the deckchairs on the Titanic, they are doomed anyway………..

    27
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    Mute goo
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    May 18th 2016, 6:12 AM

    Younger rather than older prefer Leo has to be his sexuality younger are more open to it ?

    26
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    Mute Jackie Caruana
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    May 18th 2016, 7:50 AM

    A very brave comment and one with which I concur. The age that approve of him have zero interest in his performance as minister for health but his sexuality makes him attractive to the young as they see it as progressive. Laughing at the red thumbs…

    30
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    Mute Chris Wakefield
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    May 18th 2016, 8:43 AM

    Not much hope for Fine Gael if that’s the leaders they have to offer, Fitzgerald is a pure spoofer and distorts facts with a mishmash of waffle to try whitewash issues in her portfolio. Varadkar a nice chap but has to lie and mislead because his spin boys make him and he doesn’t look comfortable lying either.
    Now , Peter Sutherland is Simon Monsanto Coveneys sugar daddy and mentor so it will be what these two bilderbergers decide who will be leader. The Coveney guy is a very intelligent sneaky guy trained by the man who really runs the show, he will follow orders for Bilderberg, Denis o bribe, and king Peter

    25
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    Mute Kathleen Kavanagh
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    May 18th 2016, 6:07 AM

    Smooth Operator :-/

    24
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    Mute brian boru
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    May 18th 2016, 8:20 AM

    I think Michael Martin would make a better leader of the fiannas. He has a lot more experience then Leo. Had Leo lead any successful campaigns ?

    Michael has a lot more experience then Leo and in my opinion would make a much better leader.

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    Mute Allen McConnell
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    May 18th 2016, 8:55 AM

    Wrong party yeah?

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    Mute brian boru
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    May 18th 2016, 9:04 AM

    Oh right I thought the two fiannas became one party when they signed the deal for government behind closed doors in Trinity.

    22
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    Mute prouesse f
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    May 18th 2016, 8:56 AM

    Same monster, different head

    17
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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    May 18th 2016, 8:32 AM

    Can I just ask why? Is it because of his wonderful record in health?

    17
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    Mute Les Behan
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    May 18th 2016, 8:48 AM

    Of course and people would vote for him too because as this election has taught us the majority of the electorate are idiots.

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    Mute saoirse janneau
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    May 18th 2016, 9:06 AM

    My guess is that Kenny wants Coveney to succeed. The tension between Veradker and Kenny ‘s palpable. Always has been. Health is a pretty difficult ministry. Would take longer than 22 months to turn around. He has been demoted and the “backroom negotiations’ for succession have commenced in advance of Endas departure. .

    12
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    Mute Keith Healy
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    May 18th 2016, 7:39 AM

    Everyone has failed in health. And probably always will!

    12
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    Mute Declan Jones
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    May 19th 2016, 5:45 PM

    Leo would be heading for sainthood, had he been able to make even a minor dent in the health system. How many years of mismanagement could he have possibly corrected in the time he was in office.

    Note to his detractors; a little more fact to back up your opinions, and less vulgarity in expressing them, would contribute more effectively to the discussion.

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    Mute Sean Mc Dermott
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    Dec 10th 2016, 5:49 PM

    @Declan Jones: why does leo varadker continue to allow the department of social protection to bully and cheat me

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    Mute Cal McLaughlin
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    May 18th 2016, 10:02 AM

    A pig is a pig.

    11
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    Mute Lobert Rester
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    May 18th 2016, 10:18 AM

    Even Santa Claus couldn’t save the Labour Party, their time is over and they will pass silently into the night.

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    Mute The IMF are here
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    May 18th 2016, 6:17 AM

    Maybe something decent will come of all this mess then!

    7
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    May 18th 2016, 12:23 PM

    Who really wants to see a third F.G. Government now???

    6
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    Mute Johnny Downes
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    May 18th 2016, 10:39 AM

    For a perfect description of Veruka read the poem McFlecknoe by the Poet and Satirist John Dryden!

    6
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    Mute Viking
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    May 18th 2016, 12:11 PM

    I didn’t know that sheep can do polls.

    5
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    May 18th 2016, 12:24 PM

    Anyways, Kenny has plans on who he wants to succeed him and it is not Leo…

    5
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    Mute Leo Lowe
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    May 18th 2016, 9:33 AM

    I think that he will make a fine leader of the party and bring dignity to the office of the taoiseach.

    3
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    Mute Sean Mc Dermott
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    Dec 10th 2016, 5:52 PM

    @Leo Lowe: Why does Leo Varadkar continue to allow the department of social protection to cheat and bully me

    1
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    Mute @larrymoshea
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    May 18th 2016, 2:10 PM

    I really like the photos on the pie chart, they really capture the numbers:

    Varadkar: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
    Coveney: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
    Fitzgerald: ಠ_ಠ

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    Mute Mindfulirish
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    May 18th 2016, 4:57 PM

    This is the guy who who lied about the kids hospital in St James’s. Shame on him and like O Reilly before him he put power and money before sick children.

    2
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    Mute Sean Mc Dermott
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    Dec 10th 2016, 5:45 PM

    why does leo varadker continue to allow the department of social protection to bully and cheat me

    1
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    Mute Sean Mc Dermott
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    Dec 10th 2016, 5:34 PM

    why does Leo Varadker continue to allow the department of social protection to continue to cheat and bully me

    1
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    Mute Sean Mc Dermott
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    Dec 10th 2016, 5:39 PM

    Why does Leo Varadker continue to allow the department of social protection to bully and cheat me?

    1
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