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TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has said Dara Calleary “paid a high price” in resigning from Cabinet in the wake of the Golfgate controversy but has suggested there may be “a way back” for the Mayo TD.
Martin was speaking following the completion of a trial in which four men accused of organising the August 2020 Oireachtas Golf Society dinner in breach of Covid-19 regulations had their charges dismissed by a judge.
Delivering her verdict, Judge Mary Fahy noted that “some very good people lost very good positions” as a result of the event.
Calleary, who was a witness at the trial, resigned from his position as agriculture minister when his attendance at the event was revealed 18 months ago.
Speaking today, Martin said that Calleary “understood the importance” of maintaining public trust in Covid-19 regulations and made his decision on that basis.
“I accept the court decision obviously but there was a broader issue given what we had just at that time asked the Irish people to do in terms of very severe restrictions,” Martin told reporters in Dublin Castle.
When Dara resigned I paid tribute to the decision he took in the sense that, I think Dara understood that sense and the importance of trust between government and the people in respect of Covid-19′s management.
Giving evidence at the trial, Calleary said that he was “very comfortable” during his time at the event that Covid-19 regulations were being adhered to.
An Taoiseach said today that Calleary allowed a “continuation of trust” between the government and the people and suggested he may be considered for a Cabinet post in the future.
In many ways what he did it was a very high price for him to have paid, it was very dignified what he did. And in many ways he ensured the continuation of the trust in terms of how we manage Covid-19 as a government that brings in restrictions. There is always, of course the door is always open and there’s always a way back for a person of the calibre of Dara, that’s clear
Calleary also resigned as deputy leader of Fianna Fáil following the controversy but An Taoiseach would not discuss whether he regretted that Calleary was no longer in that position.
“At the time, and I remember it well, there’d been a lockdown in three counties. We’d asked people to take on board a lot of restrictions. A lot of people made lot of sacrifices in terms of their own personal lives, not attending funerals of loved ones and so on,” Martin said.
“So I think it was in that context that Dara made those points to me. And so I think it was in that context.”
Out the front door, in the back
@John O Mahony: as always with that shower
FFS. He’ll be calling for the beatification of saint Hogan next.
@Robert Moore: Calleary doesn’t even play golf… He was totally exonerated by the Judge…
The guy resigned because the court of public opinion needed a scape goat and he knew it would undermine the Covid effort at the time. Not because he was guilty. This was a selfless act…
Let’s compare that the Mary Lou going to an IRA funeral..
We can see which one has integrity and foresight to see beyond one self
@Cowboy Ted: Why was Calleary exonerated by the Judge?
He was not even charged – so why did she exonerate him?
You see this sort of carry one will just make a few more vote for the shinners.
@Cowboy Ted: Well Ted that Funeral was investigated a few times, first by the PSNI and then by higher and no prosecutions.
Why do you not accept that verdict?
Also equating a Funeral with a Golf do is really bottom of the barrel stuff.
@Cowboy Ted: yeah because a knees up can be equated with a funeral.
@ChronicAnxiety: Correct Calleary wasn’t one up on charges had nothing to do with him. He went to a piss up and got caught, before the public had an opinion he resigned.
@Cowboy Ted: Martin couldn’t wait to shaft him. His political survival depended on it. The part time Taoiseach made the same decision with Cowen. As for the so called trial ..over a year of investigation and dismissed in under 5 minutes, An ex Attorney General, and the pillars of the community walked free .Amazing how CCTV footage was not allowed in evidence. Wonder how many other cases of people tried for braking the rules walked free. Having an ex Attorney General defending you just added to the circus.
.
@Cowboy Ted: God bless my son. Go carefully now….
Off we go with the cronyism, all smoke and mirrors from a corrupt government
@John O Mahony: They were found not guilty by an independent judge in an independent court of law. I know it won’t fit your narrative of biased anti-government hysteria but facts are facts.
@Elrond Rivendell: ‘Independent judge’ lol oh boy…
@Elrond Rivendell: we all know full well what’s going on…its cronyism, judges, guards, politicians and civil servants to name a few have gotten away with plenty in this country..we know it and you know it…but it doesn’t fit your narrative of biased pro-government. “independent judge” my hoop
@Elrond Rivendell: Not guilty doesn’t make ya innocent
@Elrond Rivendell: cctv requested told no, then supposedly no cctv of function rooms. Absolutely rubbish
@Elrond Rivendell: Ah bless your naivety and innocence..
@Elrond Rivendell: LMAO i wonder if you actually believe in what you are saying here.
@Elrond Rivendell: hahaha independant hahaha
@David F. Dwyer: so you are saying the judge was corrupted? Pretty heavy allegation.Any evidence for
that?
@Ciaran O’Mara: so did they have a party/ celebration or not? Somebody made that story up did they?
@Ciaran O’Mara: Based on the number of politicians, an ex Attorney General giving evidence, who attended the golfing event which was the subject of a long garda investigation. The judge dismissed all charges in under 5 minutes. People who travelled outside their area were convicted and fined. Suppose they had not the legal representation of Michael McDowell.
@Elrond Rivendell: no judge is independent in this state, all are political appointees which contradicts the independent label
@David F. Dwyer: Evidence that judge wasn’t independent please. Actual evidence and facts, not conjecture or speculation please.
@Craig Clancy: Evidence that it was the case here please.
@Barry Lee: So I assume the State will appeal the decision right?
@John Johnes: Why wouldn’t I?
@Pádraigín O’Sirideáin: Evidence that they weren’t please. And it’s independent.
@Ciaran O’Mara: No evidence needed, just spout allegations and claim it to be fact. That’s all you need on this forum.
@M Bowe: They may be appointed by a political representative or party but that in no way proves they carry political allegiances into their duties.
@Barry Lee: cctv legally has to be made available as part of licensing – as for cronyism remember Beverly Cooper Flynn got back in after perjury or Bertie as minister for finance that didn’t have a bank account for all the brown envelopes !!!
@Donal Desmond: so who was convicted and fined for going out of their 5km to attend the IRA funeral?
@Donal Desmond: Did Mary Lou and her comrades face prosecution for travelling to the funeral of a terrorist or is it only government TDs you hold such judgement on?
@Chris Mc: If you can recall at the same time as the Bobby Story funeral ,another funeral took place at the same time. The funeral of a guard murdered on duty. There were no outcry concerning the mourners and people paying their respects and rightly so. Certainly restrictions were in place, but you cannot equate the attendance of funerals with the privileged who travelled miles to attend a golf function. Varadkar had the Attorney General to get him off the hook concerning Zappone,s party, Coveney had a magic phone that deleated emails. Nice deflection concerning funerals.
Phil Hogan paid a higher price. Hounded out of top job.
@Thomas Linehan: And we paid a price by losing that commissioner position in Europe
@Thomas Linehan: Don’t worry like lowery he will be brought back into the fold..Varadkar’s political future may depend upon it. The trial was like the Catholic Church investigating itself.
@Thomas Linehan: Tears for a clown :-)
@Thomas O’ Donnell: We paid a higher price when Hogan reneged on his election promises, forced Irish Water onto the people, then abdicated his seat and ducked off to Europe after the damage was done.
He is one of the most arro gant, egotistical, self-serving lying politicians ever and good riddance to him.
He will never be elected in KK again.
@Thomas Linehan: Article is about Calleary, who in fairness was first to resign. Hogan wasn’t cleared of anything and his case was worse due to the lies, refusal to cooperate, the many many stories that changed and that he was driving all over the country.
@Thomas Linehan: He won’t go hungry.
@Thomas Linehan: I agree 100% and lost our main person at the Brexit table in Brussels
Lets invite back zappone for a made up position as well , shall we?
If he thought he did nothing wrong then he would not have resigned.
@Sean: You’d be the very same kangaroo court hanging him if he had braved it out too, presumably.
The Taoiseach talking about people paying a high price well all these people still had there jobs pension they were not on bread line and what about the price we the Murphy family Drimoleague are paying as a result of Garda corruption where’s our payments we were forced out of jobs our names smeared it’s still not resolved so what about us we are good people and what about all the other victim s like those in crimes and confessions Mrs Farrell who’s son was knocked down and many more so come of Martin you have refused to engage with us but I won’t go away
Good old boys club alive and well!
Ok ok but please stop using the ‘gate’ on every screw up, though in fairness cowangate was a tad funny.
For some people who lost loved ones in the loneliest of circumstances, jobs, opportunities and so on, the price was extremely high. For those involved in this social event, their sense of entitlement and their assumption that they were not bound by the same rules as the rest of us, blinded them to this. The price they paid was fair. I haven’t seen a great deal of remorse. I believe that it is far too soon for them to be rehabilitated.
@David Meredith: Absolutely spot on!
It was said in defence of the Attendees that there was a Partition divide between two seated groups. It was further stated in Defence argument that there was just a small gap in the partition. Presumably the Virus couldn’t fit through it. Logic or Lunatic ?
One rule for them another for us!
Maybe someone should remind that ‘clown’ about that ‘funeral’ he likes to bring up in the Dail , that was investigated by the PSNI and that he dose not accept that verdict.
It’s like reminding people that our current Taoiseach was a witness in regards to IBRC Commission of Investigation into the Siteserv transaction last summer. Has extended this Commission three times so far. 8 April 2021, 31 October 2021 until 31 March 2022.
So everyone named in Ireland longest running commission has a chance to halt the final report further in high court proceedings.
Compare that to family’s who lost their homes after the financial crash. As Martin sits back in his developer built holiday home. Who within FFG has ever ‘paid a high price’. Not the councillors that rezoned land for profit.
Micheal Get off the stage!
He is still doing better than, say, a, telesales worker who never broke the law.
Ireland lost out by not having a Commissioner at the EU top table. Time to bring our man back
Buy the ticket, take the consequences.
Hi toom one for the team and shall be rewarded thus.
Don’t hate the playa…..hate the game :-)
Good.
Omg is this rezl or tic tok
Citizens of this country who were in the care of the state pay the ultimate price in nursing homes up & down the country.
There are many who succumb to this virus in County Mayo, & since this individual was elected by those very individuals it is only proper that they get a chance to show their support for any individuals who saw fit to offer their resignation in the first instance. One must not think that any individual can resign, only to come looking to be reinstall in the same job after the dust has settled. Let the community that saw fit to support him with their valuable vote once again show their support, as they have been trusted to do in the past. Otherwise its the same old cronyism, But it should be noted that this individual did in the first instance offer to go, Unlike certain persons.
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