Failure to censure Varadkar gives licence to a Dishonest Culture – Tóibín
Aontú Leader & Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín has stated that in leaking confidential documents Leo Varadkar has led a duplicitous culture from the top. He stated;
“What the former Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar has done, was in bad faith, deceitful and duplicitous. The evidence that we have, shows the most senior elected representative, the leader the of the country, leaking confidential details in dishonest manner”.
“The Taoiseach of a country is supposed to lead by example. That example should be one of honestly and transparency. The example Leo chose to set as one of leaking confidential commercial documents to a friend, a competitor third party without the permission of the primary parties involved”.
“This was underhand and opaque. If this is the culture from the top why should any other level of government or the Civil Service be any different. If Mícheál Martin and Eamon Ryan allow this action go uncensured why should we expect any better from any member of the administration in future”?
“This document was the subject of much political debate at the time. FF Spokesperson for Health, Stephen Donnelly – now the Minister for Health, stated “The outline of the deal was agreed about two weeks ago. The GPs have not seen it, the public have not seen it, and we have not seen it.”
The language used in Dr Ó Tuathail’ Whats App group is damning. Dr Ó Tuathail simply said ‘To be fair. Leo always delivers’. The information was very clearly identified as a leak. This is the language of insiders and outsiders, not of a transparent democracy. Failure to censure Leo Varadkar gives licence to a culture of deceit and dishonestly at all levels of government in future.
