The Republic’s health minister has indicated that he would like to contest the next Fine Gael leadership race.
Dublin TD Leo Varadkar yesterday insisted that he was “totally engrossed” in his current post.
But Mr Varadkar, who is widely tipped alongside agriculture minister Simon Coveneyas one of the front-runners to succeed Taoiseach Enda Kenny, said he would be interested in being at the Fine Gael helm “in the future”.
The minister said his priority now is the development of the south’s new children’s hospital – a planning application for the €650 million development was submitted to An Bord Pleanála yesterday.
He told RTE that the health portfolio, once compared by former minister Brian Cowen to Angola because of its bureaucratic and administrative landmines, was a “tough job” that required a “huge amount of time fire fighting” at the expense of “long-term strategic stuff”.
Mr Varadkar was speaking after Mr Kenny, who succeeded current finance minister Michael Noonan as party leader in 2002, said he would not step down until after the next general election.
Speculation about the Mayo TD's intentions were sparked last week after chief whip Paul Kehoe expressed his belief that he could seek a third term in office if re-elected as taoiseach when an election is called before next summer.
However, Mr Kenny, who turns 65 next April, insisted he had “no intention of staying beyond the remit of the next government to be taoiseach”.
