Paul Murphy has won a High Court action arising from the Standards in Public Office Commission's (SIPO) decision not to investigate a complaint against Leo Varadkar.

The People Before Profit TD brought the complaint after it emerged the then Taoiseach passed on a confidential GP contract to a friend.

Sometime between the 11th and 16th of April 2019, Leo Varadkar, who was Taoiseach at the time, provided a copy of a confidential agreement negotiated between the Dept of Health, the HSE, and the Irish Medical Organisation to the then President of the National Association of GPs.

At the time, negotiations were at an advanced stage of the GP Contractual Reform and Service Development, which the National Association of GPs was not party to.

The alleged leak became public six months later.

SIPO complaint

In November 2020, Paul Murphy TD complained to the Standards in Public Office Commission, who subsequently decided not to carry out an investigation.

Deputy Murphy took a legal challenge and today, the High Court has agreed that SIPO’s reasoning for not pursuing such an inquiry was “inadequate.”

As a result, SIPO’s decision has been overturned and will now require further consideration.

Image: People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy on the Dáil plinth.