It came after Mr Varadkar issued a statement saying he regrets that he did not follow “best practice” in how he sent the confidential contract to Mr Ó Tuathail. Varadkar says giving the IMO pay deal to rival representative group was 'not best practice' but called The Village Magazine's article 'inaccurate and grossly defamatory'. In the statement, Mr Varadkar said he believed that the deal was a positive one for GPs and that the Government wished to see implemented. The statement also says the Village Magazine published an “article in its current edition which is both inaccurate and grossly defamatory”. Meanwhile, former IMO President Dr John Duddy said the Tánaiste's actions "completely undermines the concept of negotiating with licensed trade unions".

Source: Irish Independent October 31, 2020 16:19 UTC