Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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91. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with Pope Francis. [37540/18]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I met with Pope Francis during his visit to Dublin Castle on Saturday 25th August.

The meeting provided an opportunity for both of us to discuss a number of issues, though regrettably not in any great depth because of the short duration of the meeting.

I welcomed Pope Francis who thanked me for the warm welcome he had received on arrival.

We spoke of the legacy of pain and suffering caused by the failures of the Church and State in Ireland. We discussed that Ireland is still a country with strong faith but that there is still much to be done to bring about justice and truth and healing for victims and survivors.

I thanked the Pope for his statements on climate change, accepting refugees and international development. We also spoke of Irish missionaries, how they continue their work today, and also about the Pope’s home country of Argentina and the role of Irish missionaries there.

I also used the opportunity during my speech later that day to expand on these issues and to express my strong wish that words need to be followed up by actions.