Government credibility on the line: Bailey report is a public matter

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has painted himself into a corner over the report on the Maria Bailey compensation claims controversy. He said, last week, that it is not the practice for a political party to publish internal documents and that he did not know if there would be legal issues in doing so in this case.

That disclaimer carries two shabby dodges. Ms Bailey is a member of the party in Government, so suggesting it is an internal party matter is disingenuous. Ms Bailey’s behaviour, if it is acceptable to Government, is an indicator of the standards expected, so it is a matter of grave public interest.