Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Over the weekend, it was revealed that Deputy Leo Varadkar, when Taoiseach, leaked a confidential document to a friend. The document was a confidential draft copy of the 2019 GP services contract, a contract with a value of €210 million. The contract was negotiated between the State and the Irish Medical Organisation, IMO. Deputy Varadkar's friend was president of a rival organisation, the National Association of General Practitioners.

The facts of what happened are not in dispute. Deputy Varadkar has confirmed that, as Taoiseach, he leaked this document to his friend on a date between 11 and 16 April 2019. The document was a draft. As his own handwritten notes on the leaked document confirmed, it was subject to amendment and change. The grateful appreciation of his friend to Deputy Varadkar, as Taoiseach, was expressed as follows, "To be fair, Leo always delivers." That his friend, Dr. Maitiú Ó Tuathail, was eager to protect Deputy Varadkar, then Taoiseach, is evident in the published exchanges and little wonder given that he had campaigned for Deputy Varadkar to become the leader of Fine Gael.

The leaking of this document was not motivated by public interest: it was giving a dig out to a friend, it is as crude as that, a friend whose organisation was in competition with the IMO for members, subscriptions and influence. It was an organisation that subsequently collapsed and was liquidated in July 2019. So it is clear that Deputy Varadkar abused his position as Taoiseach. He will give an account of himself later today.

The Taoiseach is now head of Government and Deputy Varadkar serves as Tánaiste. The Taoiseach has stated publicly that while these events were not best practice that no law has been broken and, further, that he has confidence in the Tánaiste.

Given his stated position, can the Taoiseach tell us when the Tánaiste informed him that he had leaked this document? Did he wake up to the news on Saturday morning? Who gave Deputy Leo Varadkar the GP contract document in the first place? When did this matter come to Cabinet? Was that when Deputy Leo Varadkar was furnished with the document? Did every member of Cabinet receive the same document? Did Deputy Varadkar inform any other member of Cabinet or any official that he intended to, or had, leaked the document? Was the IMO informed of his course of action before or after he had sent the document to his friend? How has the Taoiseach established that this was a one off event and not a pattern of behaviour? Has Deputy Varadkar leaked other documents? What was meant by "to be fair, Leo always delivers"? Has the Taoiseach asked him that? The Taoiseach has been categoric that no law has been broken. Is that the position of the Attorney General? Is it the position of the Attorney General that Deputy Leo Varadkar has not broken the law? Finally, has the Taoiseach seen all the correspondence, documents and notes of conversations between the National Association of General Practitioners, the Department of Health, the Minister of Health and the Department of An Taoiseach? Has he scrutinised all those? Why is it that he refuses to publish all this correspondence, documents and notes of conversations for public scrutiny?

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