Sunday and the Week’s Stupid Statements… unapologies and so on

Another week, another Sunday and roll on the statements!

What to make of this unapology?

Former artistic director of the Gate Theatre Michael Colgan has said the realisation he had caused upset to some former co-workers was deeply distressing and said that he sincerely apologises.

Mr Colgan said his behaviour should not be equated with sexual crimes and that it was wrong that he had been the subject of insinuations that he was guilty of more than misjudged behaviour.

Words fail me.

And a quick thought about the comment Leo Varadkar made yesterday at the FG national conference (in Cavan by the by):

The Taoiseach has insisted that by international standards homelessness in Ireland is low.

But Leo Varadkar said the numbers of people living in emergency accommodation here had increased.

What possessed him to say that? Inaccurate according to those working in the area – Simon etc, unwise and something that doesn’t accord with peoples perceptions of the issue. It’s the kind of unforced error that reminds me of one L Varadkar who on Vincent Browne back in the late 2000s denied there was a link between poverty and bad health. As well as being remarkably lacking in empathy in regard to what is by any measure a significant social and economic issue affecting many people. I know people directly who have been homeless over the last couple of years, families put up in hotel rooms for extremely long periods of time. That’s not an illusion. And it seems to miss the point entirely to talk about ‘international standards’ when that is a new and unwelcome aspect of a problem of increasing severity.

All other contributions welcome.