THE HIGH COURT has quashed the Standards in Public Office Commission’s (SIPO) decision to refuse The Ditch access to Leo Varadkar’s donation statements.

In December, The Ditch secured the permission to challenge SIPO’s refusal to provide the media outlet with details of donations made to Irish politicians before they are presented to the Houses of the Oireachtas.

The Ditch’s owner – Ditch Media Limited – claimed it requested a copy of Varadkar’s 2022 annual donation statement from SIPO last August.

However, SIPO refused to provide The Ditch with the document before it has been put before both houses of the Oireachtas.

It was further claimed that SIPO said its ability to properly complete its compliance function would be “hampered” if the material sought by The Ditch was provided.

The Ditch, an investigative journalism site founded in 2021, had argued that SIPO’s refusal prevented it from investigating the contents of the statement and from exercising its rights under the 1997 Electoral Act.

In a statement today, The Ditch said it had “won its case against SIPO in the High Court”. 

The statement added: “Because of The Ditch’s legal challenge, we now know that SIPO hid from the public and Oireachtas false donation statements submitted by Leo Varadkar.

Statement on our victory against SIPO today in the High Court. If you want The Ditch to keep doing what we do, holding power to account, then we need your support.

We can’t survive without subscriptions. Subscribe from just €5 a month at https://t.co/SRPQEyrNmH. pic.twitter.com/DeHwF3dGUi

— The Ditch (@wereontheditch) February 6, 2024

“Without The Ditch’s High Court challenge, these statements would have remained hidden.

“Sometimes you need to just take these challenges. This is a win for transparency.”