FF backbencher brands Taoiseach's defence of Varadkar 'a disgrace'

Fianna Fáil backbencher Marc MacSharry: "For us to come out in the defense that we mounted with follow-through leaders questions yesterday, based on the fairy tale backstory that Leo Varadkar put forward is simply not credible." Picture: Gareth Chaney Collins

Fianna Fáil backbencher Marc MacSharry says that the controversy around Leo Varadkar's passing of a confidential document is "a distraction" and said that Taoiseach Micheál Martin should "reflect on his own performance".

Mr MacSharry blasted his party's handling of the affair, calling the Taoiseach "a disgrace" for his defence of Mr Varakdar.

"I wasn't enamoured with the way the Taoiseach immediately and with enthusiasm leaped to the defence of the Tánaiste and that happened without consultation with the wider party on the matter.

"I feel that as a party, it's incumbent on us to be consistent with what we do and we can't adopt different standards based on the personalities or protagonists involved.

"I'm certainly not seeking to have the guillotine set up and in Stephen's Green for every misdemeanor, and perhaps there's a role for the standards and public office, so that misdemeanors of this type and indeed others can be dealt with in an appropriate fashion. 

"But for us to come out in the defense that we mounted with follow-through leaders questions yesterday, based on the fairy tale backstory that Leo Varadkar put forward is simply not credible.

The disgrace was the handling of the last week.

The Sligo TD said that the Taoiseach should "lead" but denied his issue with Mr Martin was personal. 

He stopped short of saying that a push against Mr Martin was needed, but said that Mr Martin should "reflect on the capacity of Fianna Fáil".

Mr MacSharry said that the Varadkar controversy was most analogous to Phil Hogan's resignation as a Junior Minister in the 90s when he leaked details of the Budget to newspapers. 

Mr MacSharry said that there needed to be "consistent applications of standards".

He said that the Tánaiste had "constructed a fairytale narrative" around his motivations for leaking the document to the NAGP, then headed by his friend.

Mr MacSharry said, however, that he had never given thought to leaving the party, saying that he wanted to improve things from within.