GP contract leaked by Leo Varadkar was never ‘declassified’, says top civil servant Robert Watt

Confidential GP document leaked by Leo Varadkar 'had never been declassified'

Robert Watt, secretary-general of the Department of Health, said it was his understanding an agreement to keep the document secret “would have been made explicit” during the negotiation process

GP contract leaked by Leo Varadkar was never ‘declassified’, says top civil servant Robert Watt

The country’s best-known civil servant said a document leaked by former taoiseach Leo Varadkar was never declassified and was always meant to remain confidential. Robert Watt, the secretary general of the Dep­artment of Health, told the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) the document was not supposed to be shared until it was formally published.

Watt to SIPO: 'The file that Leo leaked was still classified'

The country’s best-known civil servant told the public ethics watchdog a controversial document leaked by former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar never ceased to be classified and confidential. Department of Health secretary-general Robert Watt told the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) that the document was not supposed to be shared until it was formally published, correspondence obtained under Freedom of Information legislation (FoI) reveals.…