Varadkar accused of 'abusing the office of Taoiseach' over GP contract leak

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has been accused of "abusing the office of Taoiseach"  by using his former position to leak a GP contract document. Picture: Tom Honan/Julien Behal Photography/PA Wire

Leo Varadkar has been accused of "abusing the office of the Taoiseach" by using his former position to leak a GP contract document.

Mr Varadkar has contacted the gardaí through his solicitors following a complaint made against him after it emerged that he had passed the confidential GP contract to the head of the National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP).

Higher Education Minister Simon Harris, who was Minister for Health when the deal with rival representative body the IMO was being hammered out, has already given a statement to gardaí on the matter.

Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty said Mr Varadkar would not have survived a motion of no confidence tabled against him late last year if all of the information around the leaking of the document was available at the time.

"The reality here is the story has changed on a number of occasions to suit a new narrative as more information has come to light," Mr Doherty said.

"If the information that we requested repeatedly on the floor of the Dáil and repeatedly in writing to the Taoiseach and to the other ministers was given to us at that time, I don't believe Leo Varadkar would have survived.

"The documentation that we got in January, three months after the issue, showed very clearly that while Leo Varadkar was taking this confidential document putting it in an envelope and sending it across the city to his friend, Simon Harris, the Minister for Health directly responsible for these negotiations was desperately trying to get a hold of the contract, and he wasn't getting it from the Department officials."

Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty said Mr Varadkar would not have survived a motion of no confidence tabled against him late last year if all of the information around the leaking of the document was available at the time. File Picture

The Donegal TD said the answers provided by Leo Varadkrar in the Dáil in November "didn't stack up" and they are now "unravelling".

"The officials in the Department of Health were very clear that this was a confidential document, were very clear that it should not be published unilaterally, that it would be a major breach of trust. We know that this document was about a contract worth €210 million."

Mr Doherty added that his party has never accused Mr Varadkar of breaking any laws in relation to the controversy.

But speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, he added: "That will be a matter for the gardaí to either question that or make that determination if they so find. The issue here is that Leo Varadkar has abused the Office of the Taoiseach and has abused that office by providing a highly confidential document to his friend."

Mr Varadkar has offered to make a statement to the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) which is investigating the matter.

Gardaí said they are currently assessing whether to proceed with an investigation.