Sinn Féin spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade, Employment and Workers’ Rights Louise O’Reilly TD has said that Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar has serious questions to answer regarding allegations that he abused his position when Taoiseach to disclose commercially sensitive information to a friend regarding government negotiations on a contract worth hundreds of millions of euro.

Speaking today, Teachta O’Reilly said: “This is an extremely serious situation and the Fine Gael leader needs to make a full statement on the matter immediately.

“This isn’t tittle tattle or indiscretion. This is an allegation that, while he was Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar disclosed commercially sensitive information to a personal friend who was a senior member of a rival organisation to the one that the government was in negotiations with on a contract worth hundreds of millions of euro.

“This is information that could have been of financial benefit to this rival organisation.

“There are laws in place to stop such insider dealing from happening.

“If he has done it in this case, how many other times could this have happened and at what cost to the taxpayer?

“People will be very angry about this, particularly as it comes just weeks after the cosy relationship between Fine Gael and high finance was exposed once again.

“The old boys network that runs this state needs to be broken up once and for all.”