Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has told RTÉ Radio that he was gay during an interview this morning. He said he decided to speak about his sexuality, because as a minister, he would be campaigning for the Government's referendum in support of same-sex marriage.

The minister was speaking to Miriam O'Callaghan on Sunday With Miriam on RTÉ Radio .Ministerr Varadkar said "I'm a very private person and I still am. I keep my private life to myself and that's going to continue."I always think that friends and family are off-bounds. I went into politics, they didn't.

"But, I am a gay man - it's not a secret - but not something that everyone would necessarily know, but it isn't something I've spoken publicly about before." The Dublin West TD, who is celebrating his 36th birthday today, said he was not in a relationship.

Mr Varadkar said that looking back he always knew he was gay, but it was only in the last year or two that he had come to accept it.





http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0118/673524-leo-varadkar/