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Pearse Doherty has accused Leo Varadkar of not being genuine in his apology for the leak controversy, and is only “upset that he got caught.”
The deputy director of Sinn Féin, Mr. Doherty, doubled down on his party’s condemnation of Tánaiste for granting a confidential contract as a general practitioner to a doctor friend, Dr. Matiú Ó Tuathail.
Mr Doherty said that it was clear that it was an act of “irregularity” and asked Mr Varadkar to offer a fuller apology.
The two political heavyweights clashed during the Leaders’ Questions at this morning’s Dail, which is reserved for Tanasites on Thursdays.
(Image: Niall Carson / PA Wire)
Doherty said: “It has been widely reported that you said at a meeting of your parliamentary party that you should be careful about the friends you choose.
“And that doesn’t sound like the words of someone who regrets their actions, Tánaiste.
“That sounds like the words of someone who was upset that they got caught.
“Thats the reality.
“And instead of accepting responsibility for your actions, you simply threw Matiú Ó Tuathail under the bus and then decided to reverse it.”
(Image: Gareth Chaney / Collins)
Mr. Varadkar replied: “In my statement on Tuesday, I very clearly and definitely accepted responsibility for this, and I used the term sole liability, so I have not tried to blame anyone else.
“I apologized for it, took it into account and said that I accept responsibility.”
But Mr. Doherty also alleged that there was a second confidential six-page government document sent by Mr. Varadkar to his medical friend, Dr. Ó Tuathail, who was then the director of the now-discredited NAGP (National Association of General Practitioners). ).
The NAGPs were rivals of the IMO (Irish Medical Organization), the association designated to collaborate with the Government on a new 210 million euro medical contract.
Varadkar said he did not know what document Doherty was talking about.
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