Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A Minister, as a member of Government, is the one who makes decisions. We had made a commitment to keep them engaged and informed of the process and the outcome of negotiations. I was honouring that political commitment and Government decision that was made. An official could only have done this if he or she had been directed to do it by a Minister. If he or she were not directed to do it, it would be different. If he or she were directed, it would have been okay.

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