Results 32,341-32,360 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: I am aware because I saw this tweet published somewhere in the last hour. That is the only reason I am aware of it.
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: Deputy, I can answer questions about my actions, not-----
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: I do not have that in front at the moment. I asked him for his home address and I sent the document to him in the post. I do not have the exact time.
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: The Deputy is reading out tweets or WhatsApp messages that were put on the Internet in the last hour or so that are not from me. They are between other people. I cannot account for that. I can account for the ones from me.
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: Once again, I am very happy to answer any questions he may have about my actions. I cannot answer questions about the actions of the then Minister, Deputy Harris, or the actions of Dr. Ó Tuathail. I can only answer for myself.
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: It was none of those things. This was an agreement that had been concluded. It had been published in substance, or at least the salient details had, including all the financial and commercially sensitive information. This agreement had been launched by the HSE and welcomed publicly by me and by the Minister for Health. It had gone to the Cabinet. The Cabinet memo very clearly says that...
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: I have. The first occasion was when I heard the story was breaking, to find out what it was about. The second occasion was when I was preparing my statement, to check the date on which I sent him the document. On the third occasion he contacted me, wanting to know if the NAGP should issue a statement. I said that was up to him and I did not want to direct or advise him.
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: I spoke to him once about my statement, to see if I could check the date on which I sent him the document. I still have not been able to find the exact date. As I have said, it was some time between 11 April and 16 April.
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: I am not sure that is a question. I was not chatting. I wanted to make sure I pieced together everything in my recollection so that I could share all of these facts with the House. One of the things published in Villagewas a WhatsApp message from me to him looking for his home address. I did not have that WhatsApp message any more and I wanted to check the exact date on which I sent the...
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: The answer to the Deputy's question is "Yes". He is over-egging it. That is clearly a big part of this story. Someone who is known to me, who is a friend but not a close friend, made out to various people that he was closer to me than he was and that he had special access. That is a big part of what this is about. I am not trying to make out that I am some sort of victim. That is simply...
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: Yes, my personal assistant, PA, to whom I gave the document for postage.
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: I am not sure how often my PA reads documents that I post. When I was trying to put the timeline together, she did recall it. I doubt she read it.
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: Either my PA or my private secretary handles any phone calls or post for me in the normal course. As I said, I gave this document to Dr. Ó Tuathail on a confidential basis as president of the NAGP. As I said earlier, all the salient details had already been published. The engagement with the IMO had concluded. The fact that a hard copy of a document is marked "CONFIDENTIAL" does not...
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: I did not say that.
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: Not to my knowledge, but a situation like this had never arisen before in my experience. If this had been a traditional pay agreement, we would have published the agreement that night or within a day or two. If it had been a dispute settlement, the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, or the Labour Court would have released the document that evening. If it had been a commercial contract, I...
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: The Deputy asked about anyone who worked for me. Hundreds of people have worked for me in the last ten years. I cannot answer on their behalf. I can answer on mine. The answer on my behalf is "No".
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: To the best of my knowledge, the answer is "No".
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: On a point of clarification, if the Deputy asks me a question about my actions, I can give him a definitive answer, but if he asks me a question about another Minister, Deputy or somebody who worked for me, I cannot give a definitive answer. I can only answer to the best of my knowledge. I am not trying to be evasive. I am not hiding anything. I am just trying to give the Deputy, as best...
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: Again, I cannot answer questions on behalf of other people. I think it is evident from all of this affair that Dr. Ó Tuathail, for his own reasons, made out to be closer to me than he was. On this occasion, I shared that document with him in confidence for two reasons. First, the agreement had been done and announced and it had been approved by the Cabinet and I wanted to ensure it...
- General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)
Leo Varadkar: The organisation was very effective in 2015 when it came to undermining support for and acceptance of the contract relating to children under six. I provided the document for two reasons: first, because there was a Government commitment to inform, consult and engage it on these talks; and, second, because I wanted to mollify or reduce any opposition to the agreement. I wished to demonstrate...