No-confidence motion in Leo Varadkar dismissed as 'naked political opportunism' 

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has come under significant criticism in recent weeks. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

A motion of no-confidence in Tánaiste Leo Varadkar is "naked political opportunism", a junior minister says.

Peter Burke, the junior minister for planning and local government, said the opposition was using the vote, which is due to take place tomorrow evening, to "keep the story in the media".

Mr Burke said that Mr Varadkar had "made himself available to the 33rd Dáil, which is the forum for this", saying that the former Taoiseach had admitted his method of communication with the National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP), to whom Mr Varadkar gave a confidential document, was wrong.

"If we look at where we are, we have two major challenges in Brexit and Covid and I think Dáil time would be better used on proposals in those areas.

"The Tánaiste took two hours of questioning, he put his statement on the record and that should close the matter."

However, Sinn Féin's housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin says that the motion was "forced" upon his party.

"In the absence of Micheál Martin taking action, we have been forced to take this motion.

This is about how this government does business - how those 'in the know' get information.

"Fine Gael seems to have a way of doing business - if you're friends with the Tánaiste, you can get information."

Mr Burke said that Sinn Féin was interested in keeping the story alive to "distract from issues in its own party" such as the pension age in the North, the party's inheritance of €4 million from the estate of a man in the UK and the wrongful payment of rates rebates to four constituency offices in Northern Ireland. 

Mr Ó Broin said that that issue showed "accountability and transparency".

"400 wrongful payments were made, four to Sinn Féin offices and once the party found out, people resigned. A Senator resigned, an MLA resigned, two senior party officers resigned."