I'm not going to tell the American president how to run America, but I think it is important that when friends are speaking to each other that they are able to be very frank in the views that are exchanged, and I certainly will be doing that.

I am a gay man. It's not a secret, but not something that everyone would necessarily know.

Unless people who voted for unionist parties are suddenly going to vote for a united Ireland, which I don't believe will happen, a border poll will be defeated.

My difficulty with the whole right-left construct is that I don't think it describes modern politics or the modern choices that people face in the world.

If I was to describe myself in terms of a political philosophy, I'd cast myself as a social and economic liberal, which is typically what people describe as being left-of-centre on social issues and right-of-centre on economic issues.

It's not that I'm afraid to be tagged with the label of right-wing or even centre-right; I just don't believe it properly describes either the choice that we face politically or what I'm trying to say.

Prejudice has no hold in this Republic.

The traditional divide between left and right, capital and labor, small state and big state, high taxes and low taxes doesn't define politics in the way it did in the past.

I do think corporations should pay their tax.

I don't think you can make America great again by trying to go back to an old coal-based manufacturing economy that doesn't really exist anymore.

Neither of my parents are involved in politics or anything like that, but my dad is political, certainly, and we would have always talked about politics and religion and money, and all those things that you're not supposed to talk about at the dinner table, we did.

I suppose I've always put the career, the job and politics, all of that first.

I am not so naive to think that I can make every problem in the health service go away. No minister can. And never will be able to.

Obviously, nobody likes to read or hear about anyone having a bad experience in our hospitals.

When a hospital isn't under as much pressure, you start to see things slowing down, and it might take five, six, seven days to get the person discharged, and that's the length of stay, so it's all these different factors come into play all the time.

When a hospital is very crowded, there will be a real push to make sure people get their X-rays, get their tests and, you know, 'Let's get them out in four days'.

I don't see myself in politics at 51. I definitely want to do something else.

Politicians should trust people with the truth. Very often, we don't do that.

We have an educated and cynical electorate.

It's amazing that people were talking about me as a future leader back in 2011.

I don't think my election as Taoiseach actually made history - it just reflected it, reflected the enormous changes that had already occurred in our country.

I don't know why, but I've had an interest and passion for politics.

People need to trust what gardai say on the stand, and I can understand that perhaps in a scenario whereby lots of things are happening quickly and people are caught up in the heat of the moment, they may have a recollection that isn't exactly as things happened.

The idea that you could send agricultural products to Tokyo and Osaka and not pay tariffs, and you would have to pay tariffs sending them to Manchester, is quite hard to fathom in the modern world.

An agreement is an agreement, and when you make it, you should stick to it.

Often, the people who speak loudest about republican values are the least when it comes to honouring them.

Music TV in the U.K. is disappearing. 'Top Of The Pops,' 'CD:UK' and shows like that have gone, and it's bringing down the music industry. We should do as much as we can to keep our music TV and producers need to be more willing to accommodate live music.

I think it's really hard being in a boy band. There's a lot of dynamics.

I'm glad I was never in a band.

I like someone who can take the reins, who knows what they want and is strong with me.

I never dress to shock.

Love is a very powerful emotion and when a break-up is unexpected, it's very hard to get over.

I want all of my songs to do well whether I've written them or not.

I've still kind of maintained a low profile but people still kind of recognize you and will come up to you, and that's taken a bit of getting used to.

My parents have always done what they've loved, and they've had many different careers.

I'm not annoying in relationships! I'm great!

People write music, and the music is out there for people to interpret it how they want to.

I'd love to do a film like 'Chicago.' Something musical because I've obviously come from that background.

Overall, I'm quite good with how I spend my cashola.

I trust every single person around me, and if I feel even a whiff of uncertainty I won't have that person around me.

My mum is my best friend.

I would like to be a positive force for young girls.

I definitely keep myself secret.

In my life, I've dealt with tragedy.

People don't really know me at all.

Kids need somewhere to go, so they're not bored on the street.

I am a whole lot of trouble.

I get such lovely gifts from fans... amazing pictures, handmade jewellery. I'm very lucky!

I'm quite curvy and I just try and exercise whenever I can. I don't do anything hardcore as I'm just not that dedicated.

I usually dream of melodies. When I wake up I have them in my head. I usually come up with things in the middle of the night because that's when my mind is the quietest. I always have my tape recorder, pen and pad by my bed just in case.