TÁNAISTE LEO VARADKAR has said it is his understanding that a garda inquiry into his leaking of a GP contract would be concluded soon but that he hasn’t been told this definitively.
Varadkar told RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne that he hasn’t heard from gardaí since last April when he was interviewed and “provided devices and documents”.
It was confirmed year that gardaí were treating their inquiry as a criminal investigation.
It follows the revelation that Varadkar had sent a copy of an agreement between the government and the IMO to a rival GP group while he was taoiseach in 2019.
Varadkar had sent the contract to GP Maitiú Ó Tuathail of the NAGP who he described as a friend but “not a close friend”.
In November 2020, the Tánaiste survived a confidence motion in the Dáil over the matter but the lack of a conclusion to the investigation has meant it has remained a political topic.
Speaking today, Varadkar denied that the reason he is keen for a conclusion is that the matter may impact the agreed timetable for him to become Taoiseach in December.
As part of the coalition deal between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party, the office of An Taoiseach is to ‘rotate’ to Fine Gael in December 2022.
“That’s not the reason. This is an investigation that’s been going on for a very long time now, and that’s why I’d like it to be concluded. I think others would too. Even my critics and opponents politically were saying it’s gone on for a long time,” Varadkar tolod the programme.
Asked whether his legal team had received an answer from gardaí on the status of the investigation, Varadkar said he has not had a firm response.
“Not a definitive answer, I understand that it is nearing a conclusion. But I’ve heard that before. So I don’t know if that’s going to be the case,” he said.
All I can say is what I’ve said before which is that I first heard about this investigation through the media around this time last year. Cooperated fully, was interviewed, answered all questions, provided devices and documents have heard nothing since and obviously I’d be keen to have a concluded as soon as possible, but I can’t interfere in investigation in any way and there’s nothing I can do to force the pace of it.
Varadkar also reiterated that he says the allegations are “untrue” and that he does not expect the matter to reach the courts.
“It’s for the DPP to decide whether I have a case to answer or not. And if I have no case to answer, I have no case to answer. If I do the case to answer well then it will be a matter for the courts. But I’m confident, I’m sure, we won’t get to that point because I know that these allegations aren’t true. The suggestion that I’ve done anything criminal or corrupt or even self-interested is totally wrong.”
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