Martin is prepared to vote for Varadkar as Taoiseach if criminal probe is not completed
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Micheál Martin says has he no difficulty in voting for Leo Varadkar to return as Taoiseach even if the Tánaiste is still under criminal investigation when the time comes in December.
The National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) is currently investigating after a complaint was made in November 2020 into the sharing of a GP contract negotiated with the Irish Medical Organisation.
Mr Varadkar has admitted sharing a copy of the pay agreement between the Department of Health and the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) with Maitiú Ó Tuathail of the rival National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP).
Micheál Martin is due to hand the role of Taoiseach over to Mr Varadkar at the end of this year.
However, Mr Varadkar’s status at the centre of an ongoing Garda investigation has prompted some TDs to question whether he should return to the Taoiseach’s office. Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan last week said she would “find it difficult” to vote for Mr Varadkar if the investigation is not completed.
It is understood that a file has not yet been prepared for the DPP but if one was completed, it would be some months before a decision is made.
The Taoiseach told the at the weekend that there was no difficulty in voting for Mr Varadkar in December if the investigation is not wrapped up by then. He said the Coalition was built on the agreement of voting for one another and this would be adhered to. He said:
“The presumption of innocence is very important in our society and I don’t think the rules should be any different for politicians or anybody else in relation to what is a very basic principle in a democratic society. So I’m very clear about that.”
Leo Varadkar has said he is not worried about the outcome.
“I obviously would like it to be resolved by now, but I’m certainly not worried about the outcome,” he told The Tonight Show on Virgin Media.
The Tánaiste said that he had laid out the facts of the case in the Dáil, where he apologised for sharing the document, and there had been “nothing new” since.