Varadkar not so ‘arrogant’ to offer Kenny Brexit adviser role

Minister refuses to say whether Taoiseach would be given job if he stands down

Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar has refused to be drawn on whether Enda Kenny will be offered an advisory role on Brexit when he stands down as Taoiseach.

There is ongoing speculation that Mr Kenny will announce his retirement within the next two weeks.

Mr Varadkar said on Sunday he would not be so “presumptuous or arrogant’’ to offer anybody a job in the future, let alone the Taoiseach.

He said Mr Kenny was Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader and would remain in that role until he decided otherwise.

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He told RTÉ's The Week In Politics that the timeline for the Taoiseach to stand down was entirely a matter for him.

“Whenever he will make the decision, he will make it, and that is up to him,’’ he added.

He said there was no vacancy at the moment.

Mr Varadkar said he could not see how a change of Taoiseach would make a fundamental difference to the running of the minority Government.

"We have a confidence-and-supply agreement that was negotiated between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael,'' he added.

He said there was also an agreement with a number of Independents.

Michael O'Regan

Michael O'Regan

Michael O’Regan is a former parliamentary correspondent of The Irish Times