Pippa Hackett refuses to be drawn on Varadkar controversy

Green Party TD for Laois/Offaly and Junior Minister, Pippa Hackett, has refused to be drawn on whether she has confidence in Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, ahead of his address to the Dáil later today on the controversy surrounding the leaking of a confidential doctors contract to a rival union.

Speaking on her way into a Cabinet meeting this morning, Minister Hackett said the Tanáiste has already admitted that what he did was "inappropriate" but she added that he is now in a position where he can "explain himself and be subject to questioning" in the Dail.

"We will have to see how that goes" said the Minister of State, who refused to be drawn any further into the controversy.