Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR has been enjoying the favour of the international media since he was appointed – this time, it’s on the cover of the Europe edition of Time magazine.
The 24 July edition’s front page includes a quote from Varadkar calling Ireland ‘an island at the centre of the world’ – an extract from the interview entitled A Portrait of the Prime Minister As a Young Man.
The international media has, by and large, been incredibly fawning over Ireland’s new leader, saying that Varadkar’s sexuality and ethnic background signal a significant shift to Ireland’s identity as an insular, Catholic nation.
In the interview, Varadkar insisted his meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last month wasn’t just a photo opportunity to distract – a response to criticism that important matters were pushed aside for events that focused more on socks, bodhráns and jogs than Trump, trade and Brexit.
In the interview, he defends Ireland’s corporate tax rate, speaks about the importance of advancing equality during his tenure, and says he can ‘absolutely’ rule out the possibility of Ireland leaving the EU.
He also mentions a phone call with Donald Trump from 2011 concerning the businessman’s Doonbeg golf course in Co Clare. Varadkar was Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport at the time, and Trump called him to ask for a planning problem to be resolved.
“I got the impression,” Varadkar told Time, ”he was the kind of person who would pick up the phone and want to ring the man or woman who is in charge over there, rather than necessarily going through normal business or diplomatic procedures…
There are pluses and minuses to that.
The full Q&A with Varadkar is here.
It’s not the first time a Taoiseach has been on Time’s cover – in October 2012, Enda Kenny featured on Time’s front page along with the heading: ‘The Celtic Comeback‘.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
18 months!?!? Quite a soft sentence if you ask me.
@King: He would have gotten a slap on the wrist over here..
@King: Hardly worth the bother.
@Daisy Chainsaw:
????
He has 18 months in jail. He lost his career and his life is screwed. I think it was well worth the bother
@Nick Allen: Good behaviour etc, he’ll be out by the end of the year and still a danger to girls.
@David Garland: utter nonsense, he would definitely have recieved a longer sentence…..
@Rónán:
They would probably have “accidentally” messed up the search like they did Judge Brian Curtin here in Tralee.
There’s an elite over here that get away with everything – just look what they did to Maurice McCabe for uncovering what they get up to.
Justice in Ireland depends on your bank balance, influence and position of power in society.
The media are not giving the whistleblower revelations the footage it deserves- looking after their political buddies is far more important!
@David Grey: That’s why the paedo hunters are vital, and why the powers that be are trying to stop them. It removes the ‘before we charge him, is he/his daddy anyone important’ filter applied in this state.
@David Garland: and case would have taken 2 years with much higher legal fees here
@The Risen:
Thats total and utter BS
@Daisy Chainsaw:
Will a longer sentence make him any less of a danger to girls? His life is ruined so it was well worth the bother
@Nick Allen: He is on the sex offender’s list as a pedophile so he will I hope be monitored when he gets out. My question is are the police on both side of the water looking into what this fella was doing before he was apprehended?
@Alan Scott:
Good question Alan. One would hope so
@David Garland: its not much more than a slap on the wrist to be fair.
Should have been a much longer sentence….
@Patrick Brady: it will be a very unpleasant although short sentence .
Enjoy being the vulnerable party now.
Really??? 18 months? This is why people think they can get away with anything, long sentences for anything over petty time or repeat offenders would teach people. Anything do do with child abuse etc should be minimum 15-20 years, bad abuse should be death or life in prison no parole IMO
@kevinhunt101: and gouge their eyes out while you’re at it! Maybe cull any male progeny too.
Wonder what would happen to him if he was convicted in America…
@Mark Foy: He would most likely serve time in an American prison. Odd thing to wonder, though.
@Dᴇʀᴇᴋ Wᴀʟsʜ Ⓥ: Clearly I mean the length of time……
@Mark Foy: Europe is a soft touch on peadophiles.
@Dᴇʀᴇᴋ Wᴀʟsʜ Ⓥ: hmmm, I don’t think that’s what he meant
@Mark Foy: Anthony Weiner got 21 months and a $10,000 fine for sending dick pics to an underage girl (which this guy did too) I don’t know if he knew she was underage or what extra would be added for travelling to meet her
He should have got 5 years at least he will be free in 9 months.
Another light sentence for an offence involving a child.
The shocking thing is that a majority of people won’t care while they’re watching the Late Late Show on RTE tonight.
Same with the BBC.
@David Sinclair: Why would they care? How can RTE control the actions of one of their employees? Hardly going to boycott RTE
@Pat Bateman:
The license fee paid this guy’s wages.
I’m refusing to pay mine in protest.
@David Sinclair: no offence but that’s nonsense.
@David Sinclair: nothing to do with Late Late or RTE!!!!
@Pat Bateman: They should care as rte are the organisation that are judgemental on other institutions that do sick horrible things to children. Many have boycotted other institutions
@David Sinclair: I genuinely don’t know if you’re winding us up with that – if so, it’s quite good. If not, check yourself into a hospital.
@David Sinclair: What utter nonsense. A revenue offical did similar a few yrs back. Boycott paying tax, why dont you.
@David Sinclair: ironically you might wind up with a sentence similar to his
@David Sinclair: Good man David. Viva la Revolution.
@David Sinclair: I’d say you’d hardly be paying it anyway! RTE aren’t responsible for this creep.
@Ironballs: I wouldn’t expect any rational comments from that David lad, he’s a Scientologist or at best unquestionably supports them.
So take anything he says with a bag of salt
@name cannot be blank:
Hahaha! Stay off them Thai sticks man.
He is finished anyway
@Mr Jerry Curtin: what’s with the avatar ..very disrespectful to her husband and family..
@Siobhán Ni Mhurchú: says you. Maybe he’s supporting her cause. Stop getting offended at every little thing it reflects poorly
18 Months, should be 18 years!
18 month’s this country is a joke…
@Siobhan Boyle: It was a judge in the UK.
@Siobhan Boyle: Why is this country a joke?
@Siobhan Boyle: He was sentenced in England.
@Siobhan Boyle: Except it wasn’t this country
@Siobhan Boyle: Well done Siobhan.
Okay, five people have corrected her now, lads, you’ve made your point.
@Neal Ireland Hello.: Four people. I congratulated Siobhan.
@Neal Ireland Hello.: True ,but 43 people gave her a thumbs up,strange !
@Neal Ireland Hello.: no no, lets hunt her down! Btw, where would you start on why this country is a joke..?
@savagecabbage: Could start in the departures lounge of Dublin Airport?
@Siobhan Boyle: You’re right Siobhan this country makes me Boyle.. What a joke!
@Siobhan Boyle: It was the uk
@Siobhan Boyle: it’s Leeds
@Neal Ireland Hello.: good man Neil!
@Robert Harris: __ I can’t believe that the incorrect comment now has 89 likes, despite a whole bundle of people pointing out that it was incorrect. 89 (and counting, probably)people must have a brain the size of a flea’s arse.
@Neal Ireland Hello.: All the corrections it’s the UK not Ireland point to one conclusion the second you see a mistake all hands on deck to point out to this lady she is mistaken without first reading down the comment line and stop this silly repetition of a few lines.
@Alan Scott: it was the UK, Alan, not Ireland
Absolute animal looking to prey on a child. I hope it’s a rough 18 months.
Disgusting.
Judge deserves that for that soft sentence.
@James O’Brien: judge deserves what?
@Naoimh Ó Murchadha: A mention in this blog
@Naoimh Ó Murchadha: Umm the sentence he handed down to this creep.
The best thing about this case is that it will act as a deterrent to online predators. The people who brought this guy out into the open are heroes.
Joke of a sentence, expected more from U.K. Courts!!
@Annette Manning: do they often meet your expectations to instill such confidence.
@Morgan Freeman: Yes hence my post
@Annette Manning: cool. Great story.
What an absolute joke of a sentence. Disgraceful
I’m wondering this can be considered as fishing. I’m not sure what was the detail of their conversation and for sure he should not do such thing. He might not proactively look for a girl such young if the group behind that fake account didn’t purposely approach him and trigger his consideration of meeting the girl.
@Alex: This is without doubt the worst take on this case I’ve read.
@Alex: Yes, that’s obviously the problem here. Go get your head checked out ye numpty.
@Alex: I have to say that I thought that myself initially. I thought that you couldn’t be found guilty of something that was basically entrapment. Maybe that only applies if it’s the state that is doing it. He got what he deserved anyway as far as I am concerned.
@Alex: so if you leave your car unlocked and it’s stolen you would suggest that maybe the thief isn’t as guilty as if you’d locked it?
@Alex: he was or is addicted to child abuse images ..this was obviously what was on his mind and something he wanted to act on .they drew him out but if they happened of done that then there just might’ve been a real victim ..
@Alex: laws not the UK are different which allows there to be a victim here as a child is a person under 18 or someone pretending to be.
Or
Maybe you’re a genius legal mind wasted on the comments section of the journal.
@Siobhán Ni Mhurchú: I read more about his case on twitter and found that he has long a history of child abuse offenses. Indeed he deserve the punishment.
@Siobhán Ni Mhurchú: *hadn’t
@Alex: I follow predator exposure, the decoys do not contact first, the offenders do, they get them to meet up and have all the chats printed out as evidence and hold the person till police come
@Jude Behan: thanks for the clarification.
@Alex: he admitted to looking at pornography involving 8 year olds
@Tracy Keenan Moloney: when I made the comment, this article was just a few lines with no details.
@Naoimh Ó Murchadha: There should always be entrapment to get these fellas off our streets. Because of the actions of this group in the UK there’s children much safer tonight with this fella locked up..
Happy Friday !
How can he get 18 months for flying over to meet a 15 year old. He hadn’t done anything…yet. So how do they convict on someone’s intentions when the “victim” doesn’t exist.
Now, before I get lashed out of it here… I am asking how he can get this sentence for the above and we give animals 5 years with 18 months suspended for abusing and raping a child for years on end.
He would have gotten off here and the vigilante group charged with something.
@Susan Lynch Mooney: He believed she was 13 not 15. I dont know the ins and outs how they sentenced him to 18 months seeing as he “didnt do anything yet”. But i feel its a good decision. He is obviously a danger to young girls so this will put manners on him. I wonder will this change his behaviour? Or can it be changed? I doubt it.
@Susan Lynch Mooney: hadn’t done anything yet? Sent her sexual images and told her he wanted to “kiss and cuddle” over the course of a four month conversation. When arrested he had two boxes of condoms with him. It’s called grooming and its a crime.
@Sinead Hanley: I don’t believe it can be changed. He’s attracted to young kids . He can’t change that but needs to control the way he feels and not act out on it . Don’t believe it ever goes away for people like that ..
@Sinead Hanley: to my ( limited ) knowledge the whole he didn’t meet anybody real doesn’t really matter as the computers showed clearly he was grooming and accessing under age porn regularly ( punishable with jail time I presume ?) so I don’t get why some think that because I’m this occasion he targeted a 13 yr olds profile that he should somehow not be prosecuted ?? Seems an odd take ??
@Dave Hammond: I am not fully informed of the case but it seems right that although he didnt “do anything” (this time), the fact that his actions involved accessing underage porn and grooming is enough.
@Susan Lynch Mooney: I read on the RTÉ website that it’s a crime to do this to a ‘child to be defined as a person under 18 or a person depicting a child’. Got what he deserved..
Disgusting lenient sentence … laws need to be changed now to fit the crime … laws are so old and don’t reflect the days we sadly live in today.. although this was English justice system it’s sadly more than he would receive in the Irish courts.. he would have prob received suspended sentence…..
@huffyeire: agreed
His professional life is over – doubt whatever friends he has will remain friends & although the sentence should have been longer – life after prison may well feel like a longer sentence for him. Sick ba$tard deserves everything he gets.
@davidsinclair Nothing to do with Late Late or RTE!!!!
Thilled And he would still be at it Only for the predetors hunters in Englang An 8 year old child
18 fking months is this a joke .he should never see the light of day again
@Roy O’ Brien: his life is in ruins now anyway. He’ll always be known for what he is till the end of his day’s.
Should have got a bigger sentence.What about the crimes he got away with.He has traveled to many countries that are known hot spots for
Pedophilia.
You spelled “18 years” wrong.
If I grew weeds out my back I could be looking at 10 years mandatory
Hope the sicko gets put in a cell with ” Barbara”, a six foot paedophile that resembles “john coffey” from the green mile.
@Trevor Hayden: why, so they can compare notes?!
@Naoimh Ó Murchadha: Make him his bitch, hopefully he’ll come out walking like john wayne.
18 Months? Thats shameful, should have got least 4-5 years for what he did.. Very soft sentence
18 months for an animal like him is a joke
Not long enough of a sentence but im sure those inside that hate kiddie fiddlers will sort him out once and for all
How many of these online groups catch these sickos, more work done by these than the police, and after all their hard work gettin a sicko caught he gets 18months out in 6!! Joke
18months!?!?!? This can’t be a just sentence.
If she was a real girl, only 13 years old girl – a child. Her innocence would be taken away by an old predator!
Throw him into general population in prison, let’s see how long this soft boy lasts. I hope they tear his face off with boiling water and sugar. Then just hang him and be done with it. No sympathy or mercy for pedos.
It’s kinda scary knowing there’s people around your community who may be pillars of society engaging in behaviour like this.
Talk about the lucky dip court system. We jailed one banker,anyone know what was the sentence or will the lad do any time ? We let a Norwegian rapist initially go right home. And this and many more cases beyond. Wtf ??
@Osean Drive: It was a British Court that sentenced him though not an Irish one.
@Chris Clancy Wilson: I did forget temporarily however the same if not far more lenient would happen here.
Pffft hardly surprising really is it. Should of let the lynch mob at him when they had the chance, cut out the middle man
Dirty vile creature. Sentence way too lenient but at least he got some prison time many of them only get suspended sentences. It won’t be long before that smirk on his face in the above photo is well and truly wiped off him.
18 months?? What’s the point in having a judicial system in Ireland if this is it? 18 months should be 18 years, but no one gets that type of sentence here… all suspended or otherwise… what’s the point in reporting abuse/crime either?
Absolute effin’ joke
@Ruth McCann: It’s been said lots of times here on the comment line. This creep was not convicted in Ireland But in the UK and yes he is serving this very low sentence in the UK
@Ruth McCann: except it didn’t happen in Ireland..
Is he married?anyone know
@Carmel Reynolds: Yes, he is.
@Rosemarie F Martin: For the moment he is married I cannot see anyone staying with this creep He was shown on the nine o clock news he looked straight at the camera with no shame.
He wasn’t Former RTE
when he was caught.
paedophile tattooed across his forehead and chemical castration it’s an ideal punishment after he gets released.
DIRTBAG
That s exactly what I was thinking. Entrapment???. Maybe on balance 18 months sounds right.
Paedophile Hunters [Sic] And Their Friends – Why They Are Dangerous, Pointless, Time-Wasting, Resource-Wasting, Ignorant, Hater, Fools – The OSC … http://therealosc.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/paedohunters-sic-and-their-friends-why_16.html
@LutherKongGood: they got a result here and many other cases
He had two boxes of condoms thank god he was stoped .
I’m annoyed that the author says that he had an addiction to porn. Anyone with an addiction here, even to sport??? Do you just give it up instantly if it’s bad for you? I don’t care if this person had a good job etc. He is still a paedophile. 18 months is f*ck all. Not taking away from the victim but imagine if this was a real person, would the sentence be so lenient? , would the author still consider this as the past tense?
have your say