A file is set to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) regarding the investigation into the leaking of a confidential draft contract by Tánaiste Leo Varadkar in the next two months.
Gardaí are currently preparing the file having upgraded the case to a formal investigation on Sunday.
The decision on whether or not to charge Mr Varadkar will rest with the DPP, although a recommendation from gardaí is likely to accompany the report, according to The Irish Times.
The case relates to Mr Varadkar's sharing of a confidential copy of a proposed GP contract with then-president of the National Association of GPs (NAGP), Dr Maitiú Ó Tuathail, in April 2o19.
Mr Varadkar, who was taoiseach at the time, is said to have improperly leaked information on a provisional deal agreed between the government and the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), a rival organisation of the since-defunct NAGP.
Following the revelations published in the Village magazine last year, Mr Varakdar apologised in the Dáil. However, he insisted he had not broken the law.
Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil Ministers have backed the Tánaiste, despite ongoing pressure from opposition parties.
Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys dismissed suggestions that Mr Varadkar should step aside from his role pending the completion of the garda inquiry, while Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath said Fianna Fáil had full confidence in the Tánaiste.
