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Varadkar: 'I will try and make sure that I have less leaky ministers'

Varadkar:  'I will try and make sure that I have less leaky ministers'

Leo Varadkar has said he will have to leave out some of his Ministers who are prone to leaking in appointments to the next government.

It comes after criticism of Fine Gael leaks to the Irish Examiner in which Ministers said there was only a 50/50 chance of a government being formed with Fianna Fáil and the Greens.

Micheál Martin has described the comments as unhelpful as the parties enter programme for government negotiations.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: "Once again I have to apologise for some of my leaky ministers. I will try and make sure that I have less leaky ministers next time if I have the opportunity to appoint ministers again.

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"What's happened is that talks now begun at long last between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Greens and are still open to Labour and the Social Democrats to join those talks and we are still keeping in touch with independents who might be willing to support a new government."

The Irish Examiner reported that talks had formally begun yesterday between the parties but that the likelihood of success in the discussions aimed at forming a government was put at “less than 50:50” because of the internal wrangling within the Green Party.

Earlier Micheál Martin said he does not know if a government can be formed by June.

The Fianna Fáil leader also would not be drawn on who would be Taoiseach first.

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He said: "I'm not going to go there, I think my own view is that before we get there at all we do need to agree a programme for government."

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