Varadkar 'contorted the narrative' around GP contract leak, says Jim O'Callaghan

Leo Varadkar. File picture

Fianna Fáil TD Jim O'Callaghan says that Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has "contorted the narrative" around his leaking of the IMO pay deal to the NAGP but says the Tánaiste does not have to resign over the matter.

The Dublin Bay South backbencher said the former Taoiseach had clearly done something wrong by disclosing the document and said that Mr Varadkar's defence "had inconsistencies in it".

"Why wasn't it sent by the Department of Health? What wasn't it emailed? Why didn't Simon Harris send it out? Why was part of the front page redacted? All of this suggests that the Tánaiste was trying to disguise his role in giving out this document."

Mr O'Callaghan said that while many Fianna Fáil TDs had defended Mr Varadkar, he "didn't see many Fine Gael TDs defending Barry Cowen or Dara Calleary". 

He added that his party needed to "call it out when something is wrong" but said that there is a need for politicians to admit mistakes without resigning.

"We live in a climate that is very slow to forgive politicians who admit they have done wrong, which is probably why politicians are slow to admit wrongdoing."

'Uncomplicated political issue'

Mr O'Callaghan said that the issue was "not complicated" and said the matter could have been dealt with if Mr Varadkar had said he had done wrong on Saturday.

"I think on a day such as today, I don't think we should sit back and accept, a contorted political narrative for the sake of political convenience and I also think as a Fianna Fáil TD, it's important that the party calls out something when it's wrong. And we don't shy away from it because of political convenience.

"This, as I said at the outset, is an uncomplicated political issue but unfortunately it has become complicated and has been prolonged because of an unnecessary narrative about trying to put forward a contorted of defence that I just don't think it's necessary.

"I don't regard this as an Agatha Christie mystery. I think he was in the wrong and he should recognise he was in the wrong. And I think he should recognise the wrongdoing - what was wrong. 

"And that is the disclosure of a confidential document from the government that went to somebody not authorised to receive that either as a friend, or to somebody who wasn't a friend is in many respects irrelevant.

"The Tánaiste should have accepted that what he did was wrong and move on."