"Taken out of context."
During an interview with Morning Ireland on Tuesday, Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy said that recent comments the Taoiseach made about freedom of the press were “taken out of context”.
The Times reported that while at a private event at New York, Varadkar said that he sympathised with Donald Trump’s views on the media.
According to the Irish edition of
The Times, Varadkar said that Irish political reporters were more interested in covering the gossip that's said in the corridors as opposed to the relevant issues.
They also reported that the Taoiseach was particularly critical of investigative journalism in Ireland, mainly that of RTÉ.
Of course, Trump has frequently declared certain stories to be "fake news" and his relationship with the media has been extremely combative.
In the aftermath of these remarks being made, various TDs and ministers have weighed in on the subject.
Labour leader Brendan Howlin issued a press release criticising Varadkar's comments.
"Whatever about criticising the media when at home on the campaign trail, for Ireland’s Head of Government to attack the Irish media when on a diplomatic and strategic trade mission is wholly inappropriate," Howlin said.
He was also critical of the government for spending "millions on the government's now abandoned spin-unit, testing slogans let 'Let Leo Lead On,' or now denigrating Irish journalists who had faithfully chronicled his bid to get Ireland a UN security Council seat."
Minister Murphy said that parts of Varadkar's discussion were selectively leaked and that he expects the Taoiseach to make a "very robust" defence of the media later on.
“I’m sure he’ll get an opportunity to clarify it if it’s raised in the Dáil later on," he said.
