John Bruton, Taoiseach from 1994 to 1997, resigned from the Dáil in 2004 after 35 years as a TD. He became EU ambassador to the USA for the following five years, a pivotal and very influential post. That appointment was based on a lifetime of involvement in European issues about which he has always been passionate. Back in the days when political scribes were closeted for long periods with all the politicians at Leinster House, every other day one of the non-Fine Gael TDs or senators would sidle up and mouth: “You know that Leo Varadkar? Well, he’s only using the job of Taoiseach as a stepping stone. He really wants to be the head of the UN or the EU – or some big international gig like that.”