Leo Varadkar is “confident” the outcome of a Garda probe into his leaking a GP document will be in his favour as he insists he did not commit an offence.
Gardai confirmed last month that they had submitted a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions on the matter.
Mr Varadkar has insisted he has not committed a crime and said the charges were made by “political opponents”.
When put to him that it’s understood that gardai did not make a recommendation to the DPP, Mr Varadkar said: “That’s the information we have from the gardai but we’ve had no contact from the DPP and I don’t intend to.
“I am sure you can understand I have to be a little bit careful on what I say on this because I don’t want to say anything that other people might misrepresent me trying to put pressure on the DPP in any way, so I’m not going to say anything about time lines.”
He told RTE: “But what I can say to you is that these allegations are false. They were made by political opponents who have grievances against my party, a personal grievance against me. I have committed no crime. I have committed no offence.”
The probe was launched after the Tanaiste confirmed he had leaked a confidential copy of the proposed new GP contract to his friend Dr Maitiu O Tuathail, in April 2019.
It contained details of the deal the then Government had provisionally agreed with the Irish Medical Organisation.
Dr O Tuathail was the president of the National Association of General Practitioners, a rival group also representing GPs that now no longer exists.
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