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The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar took to the stage at the Dáil to address the nation on an unusual St. Patrick’s Day evening
There has been an overwhelmingly positive reaction to Leo Varadkar’s St. Patrick’s Day address to the nation, in which the Taoiseach prepped us for ‘the calm before the storm’.
Varadkar addressed the population last night on RTÉ and Virgin Media, and gave a lengthy speech about the possible future effects of the coronavirus outbreak, and the measures that will be taken to try and halt the spread as much as possible.
Varadkar addressed the anxiety and fear that many are feeling in this unprecedented time, and advised staying off social media and calling family and friends to relieve tensions. He also addressed the young people and children of Ireland directly, saying that he knows they may be bored and want to see their friends again, but to remember to check in with their parents and help them as much as possible during this time.
Social media was alight during and immediately after the Taoiseach’s speech, with positive messages praising his ‘compassionate’ and ‘calm’ approach to our national day. Leo Varadkar is leading a makeshift government, which is in place to lead the country through the coronavirus crisis.
In Ireland’s general election just over five weeks ago, Fine Gael received the least number of seats of the three main parties in government, with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar only regaining his seat after the fifth count – the first Taoiseach in the history of the state to have such a result.
Despite his performance in the election, hundreds took to Twitter to praise Varadkar’s leadership during the outbreak, and his speech last night, which some said was ‘the defining moment of his career’. Here are some of the tweets:
Currently, the Republic of Ireland has confirmed a total of 292 cases of Covid-19, with two deaths from the virus so far.
Featured image: Screengrab, RTÉ, via YouTube
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