Pearse Doherty has accused Leo Varadkar of not being genuine in his leaks controversy apology, and only being “annoyed he got caught.”
Sinn Féin deputy leader Mr Doherty was doubling down in his party’s condemnation of the Tánaiste for giving a confidential GP contract to a doctor friend, Dr Matiú Ó Tuathail.
Mr Doherty said it’s clear it was an act of 'wrongdoing' and called on Mr Varadkar to give a more fulsome apology.
The two political heavyweights squared off during Leaders’ Questions in the Dail this morning, which is reserved for the Tanasite on Thursdays.
Mr Doherty said: “It’s widely reported that you told a meeting of your parliamentary party that they should be careful of the friends they choose.
“And that doesn’t sound like the words of somebody who is sorry for their actions Tánaiste.
“That sounds to me like words of someone who was annoyed that they got caught.
“That is the reality.
“And instead of accepting responsibility for your actions, you just threw Matiú Ó Tuathail under the bus and then you decided to reverse over him.”
Mr Varadkar replied: “In my statement on Tuesday I very clearly and very definitely accepted responsibility for this, and I used the term sole responsibility so I haven’t sought to blame anyone else.
“I’ve apologised for it and I’ve accounted for it and I’ve said that I accept responsibility for it.”
But Mr Doherty also alleged that there was a second, six page, confidential government document forwarded by Mr Varadkar to his medical friend, Dr Ó Tuathail, who was then head of the now debunked NAGP (National Association of General Practitioners).
The NAGP were rivals of the IMO (Irish Medical Organisation), the designated association to engage with the Government over a new €210million GP contract.
Mr Varadkar said he didn’t know what document Mr Doherty was talking about.
