Leo Varadkar, a 38-year-old Indian-origin doctor, today scripted history by becoming Ireland's youngest prime minister. Varadkar, the country's first Indian-origin premier, officially took over from Enda Kenny as Taoiseach, as the Irish prime ministerial title is known, after a parliamentary vote in Dublin confirmed him as the leader by 57 votes to 50, with 47 abstentions. <br/><br/>The former general physician, who is the son of an Irish nurse and a doctor from India, won the Fine Gael party leadership earlier this month. He has made his leadership rival Simon Coveney the deputy leader of the party.<br/>'<br/><br/>Addressing the Dail (Irish parliament), after his election, Varadkar said, he has been elected to lead but he promise to serve. <br/><br/>He then travelled to the president's residence, Aras an Uachtarain, where President Michael D Higgins gave him the seals of office to officially confirm his appointment. <br/><br/>Former Taoiseach Kenny nominated Varadkar to succeed him at the start of today's Dail proceedings, saying that he would carry out the role with integrity and skill.<br/><br/>Varadkar came out as a gay man in 2015, when Ireland became the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage through popular vote. <br/>
News On AIR | June 15, 2017 12:07 AM
Leo Varadkar becomes Ireland's youngest PM