The Taoiseach hopes the Irish people give Mr Casey a “very clear message” in the election.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has called on the public to send “a very clear message” to presidential nominee Peter Casey following his deeply “divisive” and “regrettable” views about the Travelling community.
Speaking to the media in Brussels, Varadkar said the Dragons’ Den panelist was wrong to make the controversial comments and that he did so “to gain attention”.
The Taoiseach also said that he expects voters to make their feelings towards Casey very clear via the ballot box next Friday.
Earlier this week, Casey said that Travellers were “basically people camping in other people’s land” and that they are “not paying their fair share of taxes in society”.
Pavee Point, the Traveller advocacy group, described the comments as “grossly insulting and offensive”, according to the Irish Times.
During Virgin Media One’s recent presidential debate, Casey refused to withdraw the comments he made about the travelling community.
During the debate, Gavin Duffy stated that he asked Casey to withdraw his comments. Casey denied this claim.
“I stand by the remarks, you didn’t ask me, Gavin, that’s a lie, and if you had have asked me, I’d have said no,” Casey said.
In response to Casey’s comments, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: “In relation to the comments by Peter Casey, the presidential candidate, all I can say is I think his remarks were very divisive, I think they were designed to gain attention for him and his campaign, and I think that’s really regrettable.
“I hope when the people of Ireland come to Ireland to vote next Friday they will give Mr Casey and anyone who holds those views a very clear message.”
Varadkar’s remarks came at the close of the second day of an EU leaders’ summit in Brussels.
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