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Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar with Trump this past week.
“Leo Eric Varadkar is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Taoiseach, Minister for Defence and Leader of Fine Gael since June 2017. He has been a Teachta Dála since 2007, currently for the Dublin West constituency.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Varadkar

Fianna Fáil news release:
“Fianna Fáil calls for clarity from the Taoiseach on favour for Trump
15th March 2018
The Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Housing, Planning and Local Government Barry Cowen TD has said he is very concerned about the media reports that the Taoiseach made private representations on behalf of Mr Donald Trump and his commercial interests when he was Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.

Deputy Cowen commented, “I was amazed to hear today that the Taoiseach made representations on behalf of Mr Donald Trump on a planning matter about wind turbines. What is even more bewildering is that it is only coming to light now when he is actually visiting him in the White House.

“It seems extraordinary, particularly when the Taoiseach was so involved in giving his opinion on not wanting to invite President Trump to Ireland this time last year when Enda Kenny was Taoiseach. He was saying one thing in public and doing something very different in private.

“There is more to this than meets the eye and the Taoiseach needs to clarify exactly how and when he made the representations and whether or not it was appropriate. He also needs to clarify whether the call came from President Trump directly or from a person on his behalf. The public also need to know whether or not the representation interfered with the planning process in Doonbeg because it was coming from a Minister.

“Mr Varadkar needs to give a full account of this issue without delay.”” See original news release here: https://www.fiannafail.ie/fianna-fail-calls-for-clarity-from-the-taoiseach-on-favour-for-trump/

News Release from the Green Party:
“Greens: Government denials on planning intervention ‘don’t add up’
16th March 2018

The Government’s attempt to muddy the waters of what happened is only making matters worse
 
Green Party Leader Eamon Ryan said today that the Government’s attempts to explain Leo Varadkar’s intervention in the planning system don’t add up.
 
Speaking today, he said: “Who is telling the truth about then-Minister Varadkar’s intervention in the planning process on behalf of Donald Trump? Do we take the Taoiseach’s word for it, that he intervened personally? Do we accept the excuse this morning that it was an inquiry by one of Mr. Varadkar’s officials? Or Clare County Council, who have no record or knowledge of the intervention taking place? The story doesn’t add up.
 
“Leo Varadkar openly stated that he rang Clare County Council to inquire about the planning permission for the wind farm near Trump’s Doonbeg resort. We believe that story. The fact that he could not see the intervention was inappropriate is what he has to defend.
 
“The contradictory statement from Government today that it was officials rather than the Minister who made the call is not credible. Their attempt to muddy the waters makes matters worse. Public confidence has been further undermined by the statement from Clare County Council, that they never got a call from anyone.”
 
“What the Minister did was clearly wrong. If Fine Gael could only hear their own defense of the indefensible, it would make them blush.” Read original here: https://greenparty.ie/news/greens-government-denials-on-planning-intervention-dont-add-up/

Statement by the Labour Party:
“Party Leader and Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Northern Ireland Statement by Brendan Howlin TD
Labour Party Leader and spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Brendan Howlin TD has expressed concern at reports that the Taoiseach has made political representations to Clare County Council on behalf of President Donald Trump’s private business interests.

This follows reports that Taoiseach Varadkar intervened on behalf of US President Donald Trump over a proposal to build a wind farm near the President’s golf course in Doonbeg in Clare.

Deputy Howlin said:
“The reports from Washington today that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has made political representations essentially on behalf of the business interests of President Trump are extraordinary.

“The Taoiseach needs to make clear immediately the nature of these representations and if President Trump or a member of his family asked the Taoiseach to make them on his behalf.

“It would not be unusual for the Taoiseach of the day to make queries or representations on behalf of another nation when it comes to Government business but planning matters surrounding Doonbeg are clearly a private business matter for President Trump.

“There are particular sensitivities for obvious reasons around politicians making representations to planning authorities and for good reason too.

“For the Taoiseach to be seen to meddle and intervene on planning processes at Doonbeg is entirely inappropriate.” Read the original here: https://www.labour.ie/news/2018/03/15/taoiseach-should-not-be-meddling-in-planning-at-do/

Trump Doonbeg Resort:

Opinion: Trump’s VP Pence needs to be incarcerated on Mutton Island, Ireland, and Trump on his maternal island of Lewis, UK. Windmills with substandard parts should be put over their beds. Ireland and the UK need to take responsibility for their wayward offspring.


Emphasis our own throughout.