Honesty in politics is the healthier option in the long run

Ahead of the two-day Fine Gael national conference, Health Minister Leo Varadkar sets out plans for his department but warns there are no easy solutions

The first question I always get asked is: “Do you like being minister for health?” The truth is that, no matter how big the problems, no matter how great the criticisms, I love the challenge of trying to improve our health services, and the responsibility for protecting and caring for the health of all our citizens.

There is no point being in politics if you only want the easy jobs, and there are few harder jobs — or more rewarding ones — than health. I have been very lucky to work alongside Kathleen Lynch, one of the hardest-working politicians around, and her passion and energy have made a considerable difference to how we approach issues such as mental health. I value her advice greatly.