Q&A: What is the current controversy surrounding Leo Varadkar? 

While the Taoiseach has said that he believes Mr Varadkar's accounts and his motives, questions remain over the incident.
Q&A: What is the current controversy surrounding Leo Varadkar? 

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When the Tánaiste Leo Varadkar takes to the floor of the Dáil on today, he will look to put to bed a controversy over his sharing of a confidential document which led to him threatening legal over a magazine article he called "inaccurate and grossly defamatory".

While the Taoiseach has said that he believes Mr Varadkar's accounts and his motives, questions remain over the incident.

Taking first things first...

What is the controversy?

The controversy is centred on a document which was agreed between the GP committee of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) and the Department of Health. 

The document aimed to address "the crisis" in general practice, where the pay deal and structure was nearly 50 years old.

The broad outline of an agreement was reached on April 5, with the IMO announcing a €210m deal. 

This deal would be brought to IMO members around the country. 

However, the National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP) was not involved in GP contract talks. 

Mr Varadkar has accepted the allegation contained in Village Magazine that when he was Taoiseach, at some date between April 11 and April 16 last year, he sent a copy of the document — marked "Confidential, not for distribution" — to the president of the now-defunct NAGP, Dr Maitiú Ó Tuathail. 

Mr Ó Tuathail is a friend of Mr Varadkar, and campaigned for him when he ran for leader of Fine Gael.

There is an argument over how much of the document was in the public domain at that point and about whether or not the NAGP should have had access to the deal.

It comes down, in the words of Labour's Áodhan Ó Ríordán, to whether the then-Taoiseach shared a document he shouldn't have with a union led by a friend.

"What's more important in Ireland today? Is it that you were a registered negotiating entity, or is it more important that you have the phone number of Leo Varadkar?"

Who knew the document was being shared?

Mr Varadkar has not said that anyone else in Government knew that the document was being shared. Then-health minister Simon Harris has said that he was unaware, and that the method was "not the best way to do it".

What is being said?

Taoiseach Micheál Martin says that no laws were broken and that he has confidence in Mr Varadkar. Mr Varadkar's statement said that while he regretted the method in which the document was sent, he did not do anything illegal. The Opposition, however, wants to hear answers on why Mr Varadkar sent it and whether he had done this in other public sector pay deals. Rise TD Paul Murphy has asked the Standards In Public Office Commission to investigate the matter.

What happens next? 

If Mr Varadkar's answers to the Dáil are satisfactory to Government TDs and Cabinet members, then many will see a line drawn under the whole affair, barring any investigation.

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