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Tánaiste Leo Varadkar is facing a growing number of calls to address claims that he handed over a confidential government document outlining a GP payment arrangement made with the Irish Medical Organization (IMO) to a rival representative group of doctors.
Government TDs and opposition politicians have asked Mr. Varadkar to address claims that he delivered a copy of a recently agreed contract with IMO to the National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP).
The Tánaiste is currently receiving legal advice on the claims and is expected to issue a statement describing its position. A senior Fine Gael source said the accusations will be a “political problem” for Varadkar.
The Tánaiste spoke with Taoiseach Micheál Martin before making a statement.
The Village Magazine alleged that the text messages and WhatsApp they obtained show that Varadkar sent prominent NAGP member Maitiú Ó Tuathail a copy of a document marked ‘confidential / not for circulation’ describing a proposed new GP contract that the Government agreed with the IMO.
On April 17, Ó Tuathail reportedly posted a photograph of the ‘terms of the agreement between the Department of Health, the HSE and the IMO regarding the severe contract reform and development of GP’ on a NAGP WhatsApp group.
The Village Magazine claims that Mr. O Tuathail also suggested another NAGP member, Chay Bowe, that he received the document from Mr. Varadkar.
Ten days earlier, on April 4, 2019, IMO announced that it had reached a € 210 million agreement with the Government on a new GP contract.
Fianna Fáil TD Jim O’Callaghan said there is a “serious and specific allegation” about the “disclosure of a confidential government document” and asked the Tánaiste to issue a statement.
He was supported by his colleague from Fianna Fáil, Marc MacSharry, who said The Tánaiste should make a statement about the “troubling content” described in Village Magazine.
“He should also be available for questions at the Dail next week on the matter. These are serious allegations that must be addressed, ”added MacSharry.
Sinn Féin business spokeswoman Louise O’Reilly said the allegations are “extremely serious” and asked the Fine Gael leader to make a full statement.
“This is an allegation that, while he was Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar disclosed commercially sensitive information to a personal friend who was a high-ranking member of a rival organization to which the government was negotiating a contract worth hundreds of millions of euros. . ,” she said.
O’Reilly said the information in the IMO contract could have been of “financial benefit” to the NAGP.
“People will be very angry about this, especially since it comes just weeks after the cozy relationship between Fine Gael and high finance was revealed once again. The network of old men that manages this state must be broken once and for all ”, he added.
RISE TD Paul Murphy said he will write to the Dáil Business Committee asking that time be set aside to allow Varadkar to address the allegations. Independent TD Thomas Pringle also said he would ask the committee to allow the Tánaiste to address the Dáil. The Labor Party and the Social Democrats also asked Mr Varadkar to make a statement.
Taoiseach spokesman Micheál Martin said they will not comment on the matter.
The Green Party did not respond to requests for comment.
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