Taoiseach bans mobile phones from Cabinet meetings

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (right) and Tánaiste Micheál Martin pictured with the newly appointed Cabinet.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has told Government ministers they can no longer bring their mobile phones into Cabinet meetings.

A senior Government source confirmed a communiqué was circulated to ministers today ahead of the first official Cabinet meeting on Wednesday with Mr Varadkar back as Taoiseach.

A senior source dismissed that the move by the Fine Gael leader was to put a halt to leaking from Cabinet meetings.

“This is a move purely on the basis of updated internal security advice,” the source said.

However, it is understood the move to ban mobile phones from Cabinet meetings was not on foot of any advice provided by An Garda Síochána.

The source added that the new move to ban mobile phones from the room in which meetings are taking place by Mr Varadkar is “the norm” in other countries such as Britain.

They said the Cabinet ministers can collect their phones once their meeting is finished.