Leo Varadkar

Leo Varadkar came out publicly on his 36th birthday on 18 January 2015 during an interview with RTE Radio. His disclosure was met with mass approval and he was appreciated for his honesty and courage.

He is in a long-term relationship with Matthew Barrett, a doctor at Mater Misericordiae University Hospital.

Leo Varadkar was born on 18 January 1979 in Dublin, Ireland, to Ashok Varadkar and his wife Miriam (née Howell). His father is a Hindu doctor of Indian origin while his mother is an Irish Catholic nurse. He has two sisters, Sophie and Sonia.

Varadkar attended the St Francis Xavier National School, Blanchardstown, before moving to Palmerstown at The King's Hospital for his secondary-level education. He developed an early interest in politics and joined the political party Fine Gael during his secondary schooling.

After the completion of his schooling he enrolled at the Trinity College, Dublin (TCD). He initially studied law before switching to medicine. During his college days he served as vice-president of the Youth of the European People's Party, the youth wing of the Christian Democrat group.

Intelligent, hardworking, and determined, he was selected for the prestigious Washington Ireland Program, a six-month program of personal and professional development meant for ambitious young people with leadership skills. He completed the program in 2000.

In 2003, Leo Varadkar graduated from the school of medicine following which he worked for several years as a junior doctor in St. James's Hospital and Connolly Hospital. He qualified as a general practitioner in 2010.

Meanwhile he remained politically active throughout this period, and was elected to the Dáil Éireann (the Assembly of Ireland) at the 2007 general election. He also served as the party spokesperson for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from 2007 to 2010. He was easily re-elected to Dáil Éireann in 2011.

In 2011, Fine Gael formed a coalition government with the Labour Party, following which Leo Varadkar was appointed Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport on 9 March 2011. This came as a surprise to many as it is known that Varadkar is not an enthusiastic sports fan.

In July 2014, the cabinet was reshuffled and Varadkar found himself replacing James Reilly as Minister for Health. This came as no surprise as he is a qualified doctor.

In the 2016 Irish general elections, held in February, he was once again elected to the Dáil Éireann and retained the health portfolio in an acting capacity until May that year. As the Health Minister, he cut €12 million from the €35 million allocated to that year's budget for mental health care as he felt that the funding could be better utilized elsewhere.

As an openly gay minister, Leo Varadkar was a leading campaigner for the “Yes Vote” in the Marriage Referendum prior to the passage of the thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution in May 2015. His popularity is believed to have played a crucial role in garnering the public support for legalizing same-sex marriages in Ireland. The Marriage Act 2015, which provides for same-sex marriage in Ireland, was signed into law in October 2015.