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GARDAÍ ARE NOW treating the inquiry into Tánaiste Leo Varadkar surrounding the leaking of a GP contract to a rival organisation as a criminal investigation.
Previously, garda involvement was concerned with determining whether an offence had been committed.
Gardaí are investigating whether there has been a breach of corruption legislation or the Official Secrets Act, which provides for the safeguarding of official information.
The National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) is carrying out the investigation.
The NBCI conducts, supports, and reviews investigations under the supervision of the Garda Assistant Commissioner for Organised and Serious Crime.
One source said it is not certain whether prosecution will be recommended.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Tánaiste said that the gardaí “have not been in contact with the Tánaiste about this matter”.
“Last month, on foot of media reports, his solicitors contacted the Gardaí to confirm his willingness to meet them and provide a statement,” the spokesperson said.
“His legal advice is that he has committed no offence and looks forward to the matter being concluded.”
Speaking on RTÉ’s The Week in Politics today, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphries said that Varadkar should “absolutely not” step aside from his position in Cabinet while an investigation is ongoing.
“The Tánaiste has made his position very clear in the Dáil last November and he has said it was an error of judgement,” Humphries said. The minister said that Varadkar’s actions were “in the interests of GPs, in the interests of patients, and in the interests of the general public”.
Sinn Fein TD Mairéad Farrell said that the incident highlights that “there’s this culture of if you’ve friends in high places – a culture that should have been gone decades ago out of Irish politics – there’s a culture that if you have a friend in a high place that you can get access to information that other people can’t”.
“That is simply wrong,” Farrell said.
In February, Varadkar said he had contacted the gardaí through his solicitors over the complaint while they were assessing correspondence.
Varadkar said his solicitors had informed the gardaí that he was willing to meet with them.
Former Minister for Health Simon Harris is understood to have given a statement to gardaí during preliminary inquiries as part of the gardaí’s efforts to establish if further action was needed.
Varadkar apologised for “errors of judgement” in the Dáil in November, but said that suggestions he had a personal gain were “false and deeply offensive”.
The Tánaiste’s apology came as he told the Dáil he gave a copy of an agreement negotiated between the Government and the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) to the National Association of General Practioners, a rival GP group, in 2019.
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Euro ming….watch out ecb…epp
They must be quaking in their boots!
EPP: 270 vs Ming, alone & shrill.
Pooping they will be!
Jeremy, do you ever get tired of typing absolute tripe?
What will Ming deliver Mick?
Him being one obscure voice out of 750 members of the parliament.
And an anti-Europe MEP so will be doubly ignored.
I can’t actually understand why Ming wants to be a MEP. He’s now one of 700 odd instead of one of 160. He must have a cunning plan!
Ming is one man representing ireland against the rest of Europe. Do we trust him….yes we do, go ming go and tell them that we are fed up of being pushed around.
You live in a world of fantasy Chris!
Saturday/Sunday voting in most European countries this election,, guaranteeing a higher turnout.
I’m sick and tired of this cutehoorism by the establishment parties of running the vote on a Friday to increase the ratio of the grey vote which traditionally votes FF/FG.
Great to see SF/Ind doing so well but surprised to see so many people still vote for FF/FG/Lab.They financially rape the country for generations to come and keep taking from the most needy in society to do so,empty the country of hundreds of thousand of people over the last couple of years and doctor the live register with the likes of the scambridge to make out they are doing a great job.
They are like cult members that see no wrong in what their leaders have done and continue to do to this country.
We have had so called leaders that are more concerned about the European Union than their own citizens.
Total reform is needed to stop the huge pensions and salaries that these traitors are getting.Kenny,Biffo,Bertie will go down in the history books as the people that sold our country to keep the Euro elite happy.People need to be held accountable for what has gone on.Owe millions and get away with it, owe 160 euro for a t.v licence and get jail………..
SF are doing well with 16% of the vote?
Amazed that Fianna Fail are a full ten points ahead of SF in the locals.
Me too Reg.Amazed.Zombie nation alive and well……
This government is finished, it has no mandate anymore, their pretence of a mandate is over!
General election coming our way very very soon!
Their mandate came from the last GE.
You will get a chance to vote them from power in 2yrs.
I’m not sure how SF coming 3rd is a mandate for government.
Thats like saying the LibDems have a mandate to rub the UK.
Last time I checked the constitution Niall we have General Elections every five years unless a government decides to call one earlier. Nothing unusual in sitting governments getting a slap in mid term elections.
Fairly poor showing for the alternatives for what will probably be the biggest protest vote in history.
Blueshirts took a hammering (-90 seats approximately), Labour wiped out and massive gains for the left with Independent candidates and Sinn Fein making huge gains.
Roll on the General Election. P 45 time foe Enda!!
For
They made gains but this is as good as it gets for them. FF also made gains and got 22% of the vote despite their catastrophic failures.
Brendan Boyd – Does a bit of hopeful wishful thinking on behalf of his Blueshirt FG/Labour Comrades !
But Brendan – it’s much worse then that a chara , for your Fascist Movement – ye guys are on the way out!
The Citizens of Ireland have woken up and have smelled the coffee bigtime …..
a Chara !
You will pay for those comments when we achieve our vision for a New Republic.
Brendan we are already paying because of your Blueshirt anti people policy. Your lot and your Labour mudguards are worse than Ceaușescu and Stalin combined.
Ciarraioch, despite all that Fine Gael have been through especially with the Garda scandal and the Water Tax, we are still the largest party in the state. Myself, and plenty of others like me, will still vote for Fine Gael in 2016 regardless of what is said or done.
Thomas, I was under the impression that you left wing liberal loons were all admirers of Socialist Stalin?!
Yawn!!!
This is the thanks Fine Gael get for putting the country back on track. Can’t understand left wing politics. We would be bankrupt and beyond hope if they were running the country. All our taxes would be put into paying for our inflated Public reps.
Not nearly enough ‘thanks’ for not derailing their centre-right gravy train and top-loading the burden of adjustment on an angry electorate, beyond the leafy snobburbs of south Dublin and elsewhere!!
Voting needs to be made mandatory.
I traveled for four hours to vote for all Independents.
I feel great for doing it because it’s the best way to effect change. Burning out the houses of corrupt politicians is not an option in my book.
We need to push for a General Election and until that happens we need to get to those who voted for the Establishment groups.
Fis Nua’s results are hilariouss
http://www.rte.ie/news/election2014/#/local/A03
7 first preference votes for one guy! Even for standard headbanger party that is a stunning result.
With that number , it’s going to awkward when he goes out for a pint with his buddies – ‘so….which of you didn’t vote for me?’
What was that chaps name, link isn’t appearing
Only if he has moer than 7 friends…what are the chances?
OOOPS! Must wear glasses! “more” !
Sometimes I cannot understand the voters of this country. Such as:
- Voting for a party that destroyed the economic stability of the country. It’s like evicting an arsonist from your gaff for burning down your gaff. Rebuilding your gaff, and then inviting the arsonist back in again.
or
- Voting for a party that destroyed the lives of hundreds of innocent men, women & children with a pointless campaign, of murder, bombing, abductions and terror. Voting for the Shinners is pretty much like spitting on the graves of the innocent men, women & children that were murdered by Sinn Féin/IRA. Even without that, their economic policies appear to be completely empty, with a policy that appears to be sometimes along the lines of “let’s build a money tree!”
Can’t understand how Fianna Fáil got 170 seats. Have people learned nothing? And as for Rathmines/Rathgar only one Independent and a Green, ffs!
people are brainwashed. still fair play to the Independents who may yet rock the boat in future
I don’t get it !!!
Anti immigration right wing ‘danish peoples party’ top poll danish eu election set to form alliance with uk conservatives.
http://electionsireland.org/
This site has up to date results
Does anyone know whether they have even started counting in Kildare’s Celbridge/Leixlip area?? Thanks!! :-)
http://www.rte.ie/news/election2014/#/local/A19
Our very own Jeff Rudd with 112 votes! Better luck next time chap. Did you not get a nod from DDI?
DDI died before they were born.
(Which was inevitable seeing the muppets running the thing)
Great poster though.
Christ. Catchy headline/meandering prose,
“0.51 – We really hope that what we’re hearing about the count in Dublin isn’t true… that we’ll be here until 5am until the other two seats are filled…”
You get what you voted for and the system you use to count.
Most of Europe is done and dusted and gone to bed. Good luck to you!!
They’ll ride us anyway.
Does Enda have Frank Underwoods Blackberry ringtone?!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOUeauLWEaE
Tá sé faoi gach a tús amach, agus tá siad aon héiliam.
SFFTW
Has my comment been deleted? Why?
G’wan da Nessa!
What do the green ribbons, which some of the candidates of different parties are wearing on their lapels, represent?
Can anybody tell me, please?
Who on earth would thumbdown my innocuous question above?
I have long wondered who the lost souls are who travel around TheJournal.ie and some other websites simply downthumbing people’s comments (no matter what the content of them) in a most illogical manner. Or is it an automated system that is used?
I think the system of downthumbing people’s comments without actually becoming a member of the website or writing a comment of one’s own should come to an end, as it discredits the website as a whole.
Perfect soundtrack! :D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf8ELeZDhy8
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