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

I emphasise to the Deputy that, as would be usual, the investigation was carried out by the Department. I was not involved in conducting it, directing it or influencing it, nor was the then Taoiseach. It is important to make clear, although it should be self-evident, that any process such as this should be allowed to be conducted without any interference or otherwise in the process.

Given the cross-cutting nature of many issues the Government considers, it is important to understand that there are often numerous Departments and many people with access to, and that feed into, discussions and documents prepared for the Government. This, of course, means a large number might be encompassed in an investigation like this one. In this case, it could have been 50 people. As I have said, I was not involved in the investigation. I did not conduct or direct it and did not seek to interfere with it in any way. That said, I have no reason to believe there is anything to read into the completion date of the investigation other than that it was finalised at the time in question and reported to the then Taoiseach, who had asked for it to be conducted. It is standard practice for a Taoiseach and Minister to try to clear his or her desk before changing office. I know it is something I have done.

Conspiracy theories abound and are increasingly popular, but I can honestly say to the House that I have no idea who was responsible for the leak or what their motivations were. There are rules on briefings and documents in government. Different documents can have a different status, of course. Some things are official secrets and some are not.

Some things are the subject of Cabinet papers, others are not. In certain circumstances, Ministers have the authority to release information. Indeed, if they do not, who does?

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