From top: Taoiseach Micheál Martin addressing the Dáil yesterday; Fianna Fáil’s Jim O’ Callaghan
This morning.
On RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne.
Fianna Fáil’s Jim O’Callaghan spoke to Claire Byrne about Tánaiste Leo Varadkar’s address in the Dáil last night and his apology for posting a contract negotiated between the Government and the Irish Medical Organisation to former National Association of General Practitioners’ president Dr Maitiú O Tuathail in April 2019.
Deputy O’Callaghan said:
“On a day, such as today, I don’t think we should sit back and accept a contorted political narrative for the sake of political convenience.
“And I also think, as a Fianna Fáil TD, it’s important that Fianna Fáil calls out something when it’s wrong and that we don’t shy away from it because of political inconvenience.”
He doesn’t believe Leo Varadkar should resign and he doesn’t regard it as an “Agatha Christie mystery where we’re trying to find out everything”.
But he said:
“I think he would have solved issues for himself had he simply said I disclosed a confidential document, I shouldn’t have done that, I was wrong, I apologise for it and move on.”
Adding:
“I regard it [the situation] as a political issue and, from the Government’s point of view, I want to see it resolved and I want to see people moving on from it.”
Later, Deputy O’Callaghan said:
“I’m not accusing him of saying untruths or something like that but his explanation, let’s be frank about it, has inconsistencies within it. And that’s why I say that politicians shouldn’t demean themselves by trying to stand over a defence which has a lot of holes in it.
“Like, for instance, he told the Dail yesterday that he asked the Department of Health for the document, why didn’t he just ask the Department of Health to send it out to the NAGP and Dr O’Tuaithail. Why wasn’t it emailed? We live in an age where documents are emailed.
“Why was there no covering letter with it? Why was it sent to the home address? Why was part of the front page redacted? All of these seem to suggest that the Tanaiste was trying to disguise his role in giving out this document.
“So like, these are issues that are going to be raised as a result of the contorted defence he has put forward.”
Earlier: Getting The Deal Done
“I think he would have solved issues for himself had he simply said I disclosed a confidential document, I shouldn’t have done that, I was wrong, I apologise for it and move on.”
Maybe so – but is that what Jim O’Callaghan is saying should be done in future? . It allows any future transgressions (of anyone) to be wiped away with the same approach. – ‘and move on’? On to what? The next transgression?. You’re talking about the leader of a country (at the time).
A confidential document is a confidential document. There’s no in-between. Please stop trying to paper over it.
If you were a civil servant further down the pecking order…..it would not be a case of let’s just move on….heads would roll and as GiggidyGoo said, are we to just accept this as the new norm now, rules for some but not for others if they don’t feel like it. Have we not had enough of politicians publicly setting the bar so low and completely undermining the social contract between state and citizens.
Based on the latest batch of screenshots that dropped this morning
All I’m seeing is just how immature and needy Leo Varadkar is
Like a little boy who needs constant hugs from his Mammy
Surely confirming any doubts people had about his Leadership abilities
For once and for all
I think they’re quite sad, and mortifying tbh
Read in all one go, they could be mistaken for a Kevin Higgins poem tbfh
Hardly the stuff that one would expect from a former Taoiseach, and Senior Minister
And one that achieved so much at a very early stage in his working life
Kinda sad all the same
Maybe he overreached
Maybe his best days are behind him
Not that it matters, he won’t starve
If there is to be any outcome from this, that is of any use for the future
Is it just might finally trigger the introduction of some Fitness and Probity standards, and mandatory minimum compliance requirements for TDs
Like Induction Training and annual Ethics training