‘If there’s regret, it’s excessive caution’ – Leo Varadkar on his time in office as he resigns as Taoiseach

Mr Varadkar arrived at Áras an Úachtaráin shortly before 6pm yesterday to formally tender his resignation to President Higgins.

Mr Higgins is understood to have greeted Mr Varadkar in the President’s study, where a letter of resignation was handed to his secretary general.

Speaking to RTÉ’s Six One News, Mr Varadkar said being taoiseach was a high point in his political career, and said he was proud of Ireland’s response during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It’s widely accepted that Ireland outperformed most other countries when it came to the management of the pandemic,” Mr Varadkar said.

“Also, the economic situation, we’ve full employment, a Budget surplus. That’s the envy of Europe and the envy of the world.”

The former taoiseach said he was proud Ireland was a more modern country since he took office in 2017, nodding towards the repealing of the Eighth amendment, and the marriage equality referendum.

“I don’t claim personal credit for any of these things, but having had a significant role to play is something that I am proud of,” he said.

“If there’s regret, it would be excessive caution at certain points. In 2011-2012, we never thought the economy would bounce back so quickly from the crash.

“When the pandemic happened, we never thought that the economy would bounce back so quickly, and because of that there were big investment decisions and spending decisions that we could have made a year or two earlier that would put us in a better position today when it comes to things like housing, but unfortunately, that was the advice at the time and we took it.

“It’s easy with hindsight to know these things we didn’t know at the time,” he added.

He left Áras an Úachtaráin at 6.40pm after having some refreshments with Mr Higgins and his wife Sabina.

He waved to the media before getting into a waiting car.

Mr Varadkar (45), who is still a Dublin West TD, has said he has not decided whether he will contest the next general election.

His resignation announcement last month was an unexpected “political earthquake”.

He said after 13 years serving in the Cabinet, he felt he was no longer “the person to lead the country”.

Mr Varadkar announced three weeks ago that he was resigning as Fine Gael leader immediately and would stand down as taoiseach once his successor had been appointed.