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LAST UPDATE | 26 Aug 2020
TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has insisted he will “not seek to influence” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on any decision she makes involving her confidence in Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan following the ongoing controversy surrounding his recent visit to Ireland.
At the Commission’s daily press conference today, a spokesperson for von der Leyen said the Commission President is “studying carefully” a report submitted by Hogan.
“I can tell you she is committed to making an assessment that is comprehensive and fair,” the spokesperson said. “She will be ready to complete her assessment when she feels she has the full picture over this matter.”
There was no detail provided on when a decision on Hogan’s fate would be made by von der Leyen.
Asked about whether it was appropriate for national leaders in member states to claim that they have no confidence in a commissioner and whether that could be seen as putting pressure on von der Leyen, the spokesperson declined to comment.
Speaking to reporters this morning, Martin said it would not be his place to interfere with the review being carried out at European level and added that he has not contacted von der Leyen regarding the issue.
“There has been significant difficulty for government in terms of the changing narrative as the story has unfolded. I think the people across the country have made great sacrifices in adhering to the guidance in relation to Covid-19,” Martin said.
“The three leaders met yesterday, Taoiseach, Tánasite and Minister Eamon Ryan, we discussed this, we issued a statement, and I think the key assessment from us is in terms of the degree to which the guidelines were not adhered to in respect to the commissioner.
“The Commissioner is ultimately responsible and accountable to the Commission and to the President of the Commission, he is not accountable to the Oireachtas and the government and I was very clear in honouring and observing that demarcation.
“Clearly the President has to work within the legal parameters of the treaties and I am not going to in any way seek to influence or interfere with the President’s confidence in that regard.”
Hogan has insisted he “acted in good faith” when travelling in Ireland in recent weeks, but questions remain over his movements.
Hogan yesterday published a lengthy statement and timeline attempting to explain his movements in Ireland leading up to his attendance at the controversial Oireachtas Golf Society event in Clifden, Co Galway, last Wednesday.
On RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland today, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said the government has lost confidence in Hogan after the Commissioner clearly breached guidelines, as well as “the lack of immediate transparency and explanation and immediate apology”.
However, he said the government would respect whatever decision von der Leyen makes about Hogan’s position.
“It’s important for us that we do move on, that we do actually focus on the critical economic and international policy issues that are before us, that is essential.
“But at the same time, we have to make our position clear and I think make clear that position around the Irish public health guidelines because they are important for the future health and welfare and wellbeing of the Irish people,” Ryan said.
On the same programme, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly called on Hogan to “consider his position”.
“What happened in Galway is an absolute disgrace. It is a slap in the face for every man woman and family who has made sacrifices in so many different ways.
“I believe the Commissioner should listen to the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, and I agree with their position that he should consider his position.”
Donnelly added: “What really annoyed me about Galway is that it eroded people’s confidence quite rightly, people were furious and they were right to be furious.
“My message is the virus hasn’t gone away. We are at a tipping point in Ireland right now. We must do everything we can to avoid another national lockdown.”
‘I don’t accept that’
Yesterday evening, Hogan did an interview with RTÉ News to explain his movements further.
The Irish Examiner reported that Hogan was in Limerick on 12 August, questioning the extent of his movements while in Ireland further. Though Hogan’s statement mentions playing a game of golf in Adare, Co Limerick on 13 August, it doesn’t say he was in Limerick on 12 August – which would have been his last day of quarantine.
During the interview Tony Connelly, quoting guidance from the HSE, said: “Even if you have a Covid test and you test negative, you are still obliged to see out the end of your 14-day restricted period.”
Hogan replied: “Well, I don’t accept that. I did everything possible to ensure that I was no risk to anybody. I tested negatively for Covid-19, my medical people said I was free to go.
“I looked at the websites and checked the regulations, as any person would do, and I checked on the Citizens Information website, which is funded by the Health Service Executive (it’s actually funded by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection), the same people you’re quoting, and it stated very explicitly that if you have a Covid-19 negative test, you are free to go where you wish, you don’t have to self-isolate.”
"Well, I don’t accept that. I did everything to ensure I was no risk to anybody"
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) August 25, 2020
Phil Hogan says he doesn’t accept the advice from the health service which states that even if you test negative, you must restrict your movements for 14 days | More: https://t.co/RE6IbDVbN0 pic.twitter.com/dw0oTSvy05
Last night, Hogan tweeted a clarification stating: “I never said that I don’t accept the HSE advice, I was taking issue at the proposition put to me in the interview. At all times, I acted in good faith on the basis of the information available to me.”
‘Clear breaches of guidelines’
Following the interview, Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Ryan released a joint statement. They welcomed Hogan’s explanation and apology, but said “concerns remain”.
“It is clear that breaches of public health guidelines were made by Commissioner Phil Hogan since he travelled to Ireland.
“The government guidelines clearly required him to restrict his movements for 14 days. He should also have limited his movements to and from Kildare for essential travel only, and he should not have attended the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner.
“People are correctly angered by these actions given the sacrifices so many have made to adhere to public health guidance. In addition, his delayed and hesitant release of information has undermined public confidence,” the statement noted.
The report from Hogan to von der Leyen was requested after it emerged that he made a second trip to Kildare – this time after the Oireachtas Golf Society event.
In a timeline of his visit, Hogan outlined stays in Kildare, Kilkenny and Galway and three rounds of golf.
In the report to von der Leyen, Hogan said he “adhered to [Covid-19 requirements] at all times” and was not required to “self-isolate or quarantine” because he tested negative for Covid-19 after a hospital appointment.
In a statement issued yesterday evening, the Department of Health outlined HSE guidance which “states that when someone is restricting their movements because they are a close contact of a confirmed case or because they have travelled into Ireland from a non-Green-List country, they must do so for 14 days”.
“The HSE guidance does not state that a negative (not detected) Covid-19 test shortens the 14-day restricted movement requirement.
“Passengers arriving to Ireland from overseas are legally required to complete a Covid-19 Passenger Locator Form. The form may be used for the purpose of contact tracing in the event that there is a suspected or confirmed case on board a flight or ferry.”
In response to Hogan’s citation of its website’s advice as the reason he ended his quarantine early, Citizens Information released a statement, which includes the extract:
“Our webpage on Testing for COVID-19 covers information for people in Ireland who may need to be tested for COVID-19. In this page, we refer to self-isolating and no longer requiring to self-isolate in the context of people who have been tested on the advice of the HSE, and does not apply to people who must restrict their movements for 14 days upon entry to the State.”
Responding to Phil Hogan’s assertion that the Citizens Information site is funded by the HSE, the Citizens Information Board clarified: “We are not funded by the HSE. We are funded by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.”
With reporting from Dominic McGrath and Conor McCrave
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Is this over yet. Does he not have the decency to resign? The whole countries resolve is being tested at the moment but he’s just too important to abide by the guidelines? The lies and inconsistencies in his story so far, the arrogance of the man is shocking!
@Grainne O’Leary: He’s as arrogant as Bank of Ireland who just increased customer fees in the middle of a recession and also at a time when they have one of the highest mortgage rates on the market! Says it all about their management
@Grainne O’Leary: I agree with you but if you resign you can’t sue, That’s the big picture here I think.
@Whoswho: Big Phil told them to increase the fees
@Grainne O’Leary: Irish times reporting that he had dinner at the k club with two other people when he returned from brussels.
@Brian Madden: I bet he wishes he never came home. I wouldn’t until Ireland stopped being a nation of curtain twitching lockdown lovers.
@Barry Ryan: perhaps he should live by the rules like the majority of us.
@Brian Madden: Not really against the guidelines?
@Barry Ryan: It’s about time we did some ‘curtain twitching’ on the elite, they’ve laughed at us long enough. It was always one rule for them and another for us, we should hold them to account, they should be thankful it’s not Eighteenth century France, there would be literally heads flying. There’s so many other issues that we need to tackle though, such as 3 billion on a hospital and 3 billion on broadband, our hard earned tax money being transferred into private hands, facilitated by the likes of this elite vulture.
@Barry Ryan: agree. What a nation of sad people with nothing better to do.
If people thought for themselves maybe we wouldn’t need guidelines, but people in this country seem to be too thick to think for themselves and act responsibly.
@Grainne O’Leary: How come FG dont simply ask him to leave the party or throw him out? Surely amongst all these outraged is some FG members. May I suggest you in the strongest terms possible tell your party to do the right thing……
@Richard Day: It would be even more of a middle finger to Brussels, than already publicly stating they have no confidence in him. Its a European decision. Ireland are crossing lines no one else has in relation to trying to pressure a commissioner to stand down. So to remove him from the party before Brussels make a decision, would be seen as unprecedented meddling in an EC issue by a member state. We certainly dont need to be putting anyone’s nose out of joint in EC, at this crucial time we need everyone 110% behind us.
@NotMyIreland: you’re right. As horrible as he is, individual governments must not interfere with the commission. The EC is neutral in terms of the politics of member countries. Trying to interfere with the commission is akin to using your influence to get rid of a politician from a different sovereign state. We should not be doing it. It’s not internal
@Brian Madden: that’s mad, I got 31 likes and you got 107 likes, pretty much exactly representative of the 65 to 75 % of the public that have consistently supported the restrictions. The problem I see is that a lot of people obey the restrictions not out of some fear of the virus, but that people love a good finger wag. And you can’t be finger wagging if your not following the rules.
If they introduced a rule to tuck your pants legs into your socks, people would do it, just so they could walk around in disgust.
@Whoswho: revolut !!!!
@Joe: A nation of begrudgers
@Brian Madden: that’s the thing tough. They are only guidelines. Nothing can happen if you don’t follow them
@Thomas Meaney: it’s a banking app!!
I think the main issue for me is why he didn’t get a ticket for talking on the phone
@Frank Discussion: Exactly.
@Frank Discussion: that’s not his fault though
@Dave Harris: true but this stands out for me in terms of double standards. I’ve had 2 tickets for talking on the phone!! One time it was totally wrong. Ps I’ve learned my lesson
@Frank Discussion: I’ve had a caution like in this case, I assumed it was because they couldn’t be bothered with the paperwork. So it happens to ordinary people too.
@Frank Discussion: Frank, probably because the Garda in question didn’t want to be transfer to some island off the coast. The Garda is only human as well and probably didn’t want to have the attention of the likes of Phil on him.
@Frank Discussion: He probably just told the Garda that he didn’t accept it?
@Miss T: would that work for all crimes?
@Frank Discussion: poor guard prob got an earful that Phil was talking to our European overlords and how dare he waste his journey time around Ireland
Resign
@Relevent?: Typical FG man. Arrogant beyond belief and thinks he’s above the law. What do you have to do for a leader to tell you to resign. Only in Ireland do we accept this
@Relevent?: that’s over the top
@Whoswho: which law?
@Whoswho: Not one of our politicians have the authority to tell him to resign. Its Europe’s decision
@Joe: driving while in his phone.
@talksense: A sacking would be a lot more appropriate.
Dinner in the K Club restaurant on 31 July while in quarantine ???? Irish Times is reporting he was seen by witnesses there and on other public parts of the hotel.
@Mairead Jenkins:
Why are you surprised? The man is a 24ct liar and he knows it….
@Mairead Jenkins: Ahh but!, didn’t he say he was tested as clear for covid. He was never tested for arrogance. How long does one wait for test results??
@Dave Barrett: He wasn’t tested until 5 August according to his timeline……..( the K club dinner us not on the timeline. What else is missing?)
@Mairead Jenkins: allowing for GDPR concerns, surely there is CCTV footage of him at the K Club.
@Paul O’Brien: Thats where he was living I thought? To travel from the private houses to the hotel is what 2 mins. Certainly complying with restricting your movements anyway.
@Mairead Jenkins: and an overnight in Limerick that he neglected to mention. The man couldn’t lie straight in bed!
@NotMyIreland: No. When you are restricting your movements you are not meant to be wandering around public places like restaurants and hotels.
@Mairead Jenkins: Restricting means limiting not stopping.
@Mairead Jenkins: you’re right, he should have been on a 14 day hunger strike, if he went into SuperValu for a loaf and a half pound of sliced pan you’d be saying “What???? …. he was in SuperValu??
@Mick Hyland: sliced ham
@Mick Hyland: SuperValu actually deliver groceries. Avoids people that might have the virus from passing it on to their staff and others.
How does someone who comes across as so thick rise to such a high level? Bullying and a chancer. Smirking in his interview with Tony Connelly and bit by bit becoming more aggressive. Nasty lying bully – a disgrace to the country and Europe.
@Woman On the Up: by bullying and having the right connections
@Aidan O’ Neill: quote ” don’t you know who I am”"
No penalty points.
@Woman On the Up: but, Europe is in the thick of negotiations with the UK over Brexit so I can’t see them getting rid of him now.
Breath taking levels of arrogance but why would this surprise anyone when Hogan has been doing this for his entire career. The ‘expert EU negotiator’ himself couldn’t hack 10 minutes of an RTE interview. The man is an embarrassment to himself, his family, his party, his colleagues and Kilkenny.
Stop digging Phil
@Damo: Of all the comments I’ve read since this has happened, not a single one comment/ person has come out to support Hogan. That speaks volumes.
@Fred the Muss…: and still he’s hanging on. He obviously thought it’d calm down after few days but doesn’t seem to be. He needs to resign, way too much time wasted on him already.
His logic is once you have a test and it’s negative – then basically no lockdown or isolation rules apply. I mean really – is this the type of word-twisting politician he is or is he really that thick? Me thinks the former. With that logic- the whole of Kildare could avoid lockdown by simply getting tested. Resign please – show some decency to the rest of us following the rules.
@TheDublinGirly: Dr Phil ha ha
@TheDublinGirly: If you present with symptoms you must isolate and get tested. With a negative result, you no longer need to isolate and can return to work. If you travel, with no symptoms or even suspicion of being infected, you must isolate. Now if you get tested in this isolation period why would you not be allowed to stop isolating and return to work, as would be the case if you were actually a suspected case?
@NotMyIreland: There is one particularly prominent GP that disagrees. https://twitter.com/DrZeroCraic/status/1298326994808197128?s=19
@NotMyIreland: Because it can take up to 14 days from exposure to show symptoms and/or for the virus to be present in the body at sufficient levels to return a positive result. If someone has symptoms the virus would already be present is such levels so a negative result is pretty conclusive that the symptoms are not caused by Covid so the person can move around again.
@Jayne: Theres an almost one in three chance that if you are displaying symptoms and return a “not detected” result, that its a false negative. So again why would there be a difference in approach? Its nonsensical. Like most of the guidelines at this stage.
@NotMyIreland: have a lie down. You will feel better after it.
I hope his resignation is imminent…. and also, the Garda who let him off with a caution regarding the mobile phone incident.
@Ann Neylan: in all fairness the guards have probably let a few people off with a stern word, I personally know people that have been given a stern word and sent on their way. Not that I am excusing his behaviour
@lee Jones: there should be no stern word as you put it. He pissed on the HSE covid guide lines that were put in place to protect us, he was on his phone while driving, he could have killed someone. If there is a law regarding driving while on the phone then it has to mean something. The Garda in question knows the law and he should have issued Big Phil a ticket.
@lee Jones: They are few and far between, they are usually let off because of status, it wouldn’t have been the Garda’s fault anyway, that would be one of his/her supervisors giving the order to let him go, one rule for them, one for the rest of us
@lee Jones: but while you say that there is an ad campaign on our TVs by Road Saftey ‘Put the mobile away to safe lives’ …
@Paul Buckley: at no stage have I condoned his actions I have simply stated a fact that it happens I am not saying its right but it happens.
@Dave Barrett: 100% agree but that doesnt always happen as I’m sure you know already.
Phil Hogan, the International trade contract negotiator…. Cannot Distinguish between 2 totally different sections of official government advice on Covid-19.
These being travelling and presenting with symptoms.
Don’t even bother wasting any more time entertaining the pretence.
He’s now trying to confuse, and risk others endangering the public by doing same to add insult to injury.
Sack the…
@l:… bo!!ix
So big Phil negotiated a trade deal with the Americans after a night on the gargle in the early hours of the morning. Good god I’d love to hear a transcript of that conversation
He’s taken a week to get a story up and running and it lacks any credibility.
In last night’s RTÉ interview, he opted to combine taking the viewing public for fools (spurious talk of handwritten documents & US time zones) with undermining public confidence in the HSE and the Department of Foreign Affairs to serve his self-interest.
His blend of arrogant bluster and smirking condescension was revolting.
Everything about him screams:
‘My only mistake was being caught!’
Another day of this circus ahead
@James Fox: an awful lot of people with nothing to do and all day long to do it
Bye bye Phil.
Good faith my backside, this gowl is on the ropes and his distain and untouchable attitude will be his undoing.
He is a bully and like all bullies he needs to be brought to earth.
There has to be someone with a video, just waiting for the right time.
So Phil does not accept that he needed to quarantine in accord with our state guidelines for incomes from non green flagged countries.
Well the rest of us do, and we also avoid inessential travel here too, and golf outings, even with the golf bag stuffed with a few EU emails, is not essential travel.
He clearly exists on a pillar of arrogance, which of itself, would be a negative attribute in the conduct of his very sensitive & highly important duties for the EU.
Reckon someone with more diplomatic cop on is required,not this aggravating character.
@William Kelly: incomers
Hogan would be a terrible negotiator- all about his own ego. Clearly can’t understand basic information or else he understands and doesn’t care – doesn’t understand that we can see he is lying and can’t put together the bigger picture. Utterly useless in a complex negotiation as you need to understand all sides and work with large amounts of information.
Embarrassment….
#PhilOut
@Paul Mcnevin: #BrassNeckHoganResignNow.
I doubt he would ever resign under these or any other circumstances, so unless the EU decides to take action against him, he will just brazen it out as usual.
This is just another piece of the puzzle,,,, shades of The Late Late with P Flynn ,,,, the I’m so big & important that you ordinary people do t matter
So big Phil negotiated a trade deal with the Americans after a night on the gargle . I’d have loved to have been a fly on the wall for that
I dunno what all the fuss is about. I thought he was great in Crocodile Dundee.
@Brian: paul wasnt bad too!!
Wouldn’t know the truth if it hit him in the face sack him
Don’t let our base instinct for blood letting over ride our strategic interests in Europe. Having an Irish Trade Commissioner during Brexit is more important.
@Paul Lanigan: don’t fool yourself, he agreed to the South American beef deal
@Paul Lanigan: zero credibility
@Paul Lanigan: oh give it a break Hogan is not the master genius negotiator he alludes to be. He’d sell us down the river in a flash.
@Paul Lanigan: 6 months into the job he considered leaving to run for the WTO presidency. He’s only interested in his career.
@Paul Lanigan: He is employed as European Commisioner not the “Irish” one….. He is there to represent the EU interests not just Ireland’s..
@Paul Lanigan:
Are you being serious Paul, hogan is a figurehead and nothing else.
The backroom staff are the ones that do the work.
Even down to his “apology”, it’s civil servants.
He will be replaced by someone else (possibly varadkar) or Coveney.
Make no mistake, hogan knew well what he was at and could have walked out at any time.
@Paul Buckley: in fact he is there to primarily represent the perceived interests of the whole European Community even against specific Irish interests. Not sure if this man would help anyone but himself.
@Michael Clinton: Don’t like Hogan at all myself, but I see the value of having an Irish official in the post of European commissioner for trade. I just wanted to correct you on your assertion that it will be Coveney or Varadker who will replace him. The EU commissioner for trade is never chosen straight from a national political system. The position is too important, and anyone who takes up the role has almost always done at least 1 term in a less important portfolio. You can be guaranteed that if Hogan does leave his post that it will be another current European commissioner who will be slotted in to take his place…….and that creates a problem as none of these are Irish. So neither Varadker, Coveney or any other Irish person has any chance of filling the post of EU Commissioner for Trade if Mr Hogan leaves his post., as you alluded too. Your assertion of that happening looks even more daft considering how deep into Brexit trade negotiations the EU block are with the UK…..to replace him with someone with no experience on the EU stage would look incredibly foolish. You can be sure his replacement will not be Irish. Please don’t be so naive.
@Michael Clinton: Varadker or Coveney, are not going to take that job , they would have to give up their Dail seat and trigger a by-election within 6 months.
Sinn Fein topped the poll in both of their constituencies
The job that Phil Hogan has is not an Irish job it is open to all EU countries. An Irish person does not have an entitlement to that job.
@Wing Back: he’s always been a bully who has no integrity and has lost all credibility. Just because he’s Irish doesn’t mean he’s the best person for the job.
@JustBEERbarry: He got one of the top roles in the EC for a reason, he’s the one they want in that position, there must be a reason for that?
@EillieEs: I think you are twisting my statement. I never said anything about if he was the best person for the job in my post here. I simply contradicted the assumption that Varadker or Coveney would be brought in to fill the post. And then expanded on that by giving my view on what the thinking of the EU might and outlining that there is no hope of any Irish person being put in the position of European Commissioner for Trade.
Again from my own personal point of view, i’ll reiterate that I don’t like the man. You question his integrity……..That’s up to each individual to decide on, however his credibility as a commissioner is not under scrutiny here in my view. He was thought of highly enough after his term in the agriculture portfolio of the EC to have the skills to execute the trade portfolio at a crucial juncture for the EU. There may be better candidates potentially, and potentially Irish ones, but to draft one in now at this stage of negotiations would be a severe set back in the process for the commission. Even if they do, the replacement most certainly won’t be Irish. That was the point I was making, which I think is a loss for our interests nationally considering how crucial the trading relationship between the UK and EU (defacto Ireland) will be. Whether you agree with that point or not is a matter of opinion. But please don’t twist my point.
Is it true he was let away with using his phone whilst driving?
@Declan Edward: apparently, but I think the Garda should be fired for that!
@Paul Buckley: Well I’m sure it was logged, so the garda wouldn’t be at fault. It would have been dropped by one of his superiors, if it was dropped at all
@Declan Edward: I was being ‘tongue n cheek’
I think the public have lost confidence in the Government
@Paul Dolan: Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in government together. You would expect the arrogance and incompetence to double. Instead it has multiplied many times to the power of.
Hogan is not the exception in the establishment. He is the norm. Just he lost the run of himself, like many others of the top people, and also got caught.
There is an unbridgeable gulf between the ordinary citizen and those who take the side of the big lie – that ‘democracy’ rules.
All decisions are taken by the ‘democrats’ in support of the ruling class.
It is criminal to re-open schools. It is criminal to not enable and enforce super stringent control at essential workplaces, such as the meat plants.
Enabling hose measures however would mean a cost on the owners of those production centres; and the system will not countenance more costs. On the contrary, all the minimal expenditure on attacking Covid are being wound down.
Hogan is no exception at all. Just he could not hide his arrogance. The sneers of the ruling class, and the servants of the ruling class, are kept hidden normally. Varadker, Martin, Ryan and by the way, MacDonald, are not angry at Hogan and the rest because they ignored the very limited rules on Covid; but because they were stupid in how they ignored them.
Worth pointing out by the way, that he hasn’t been kicked out of Fine Gael.
Deep behind the scenes, they’re only angry that he got caught, not that he broke the rules.
Not excusing what Hogan did, but Ryan should have been sacked himself for his Dail naps a few months ago, people in glass houses…..
@Adam J: and he’s very late to this party too!
@Miss T: He probably just woke up
Verona murphy doing her bit to support big Phil on the radio… Commercial suicide to get rid of big Phil according to ex fg colleague..Ironically 2 weeks ago he applied for another role. So not that critical.His arrogance shows no debts now he is right and the rest of us are wrong we’re isolation etc concerned…
Snake, wriggle wriggle
He’ll top the poll in Kilkenny next time out when he returns to run in the next GE. We love a gangster in Ireland, especially one from the local parish. The Kilkenny boys will be circling the wagons to protect their man.
What about the other 80 people that broke the rules?
I would say he is gone. Judging by what his colleagues are saying, he most likely will go. However.
This story is doing a great job for the the Government by deflecting from the real story that the media & the nation should be concentrating on, and that is the re-opening of schools.
For months Children were kept away from their Grandparets, when the virus was not in the community at all. Now we are being told that children do not transmit the disease that much at all..
All I can say is expect a large spike in cases and deaths of the Virus come the end of September of the elderly & Vulnerable.
The re-opening of schools is push to Herd immunity.
One school yesterday went against HSE advice by holding an induction to students in an assembly hall with teachers when a few hundred under the one roof in a closed environment which far exceeds the 83 Golf enthusiasts of Golfgate.
Also, Phil Hogan is not an elected official he is in a salaried Job so do not expect him to be fired.
It’s never ceases to amaze me the things that bring the ” great and the good” down….when there are so many bigger issues that should have brought them down years ago
Don’t worry Eamon the majority of the Irish public have lost confidence in your own shambles of a government and NPHET too, time to go.
@SB: Everyone has to go, Muppet.
I’m just happy that I dont have to worry about being outraged. I can sleep well knowing there is enough out there.
Phil Hogan’s new job will be as a tour guide for Paddywagon,How to see Ireland in a week
I find it hard to believe that the EU Commissioner didn’t consult with the Belgian authorities what the requirements were for entering Ireland from a high risk country before he left. Also you would think he would have contacts in Ireland and would have asked for clarification before going to this golf dinner, not looking it up on the internet. Furthermore he was in hospital here in Ireland and again had the opportunity to ask when he was tested and got back a negative result. That’s not in question, it’s the fact that he travelled from a high risk country and as a result had to abide by the self isolation and quarantine rules. It’s these rules he has a problem with and he doesn’t accept them, and this is coming from the EU Commissioner. It’s truly shocking!
Bull$!it liar
Them and us!
Seems as if Phil got some buddies to post comments on The Journal. He will do nothing for Ireland in any trade negotiations. He will look after No. 1, he would selI Ireland down the swanny if there was a couple of quid in it for him. Don’t understand how his family could even like him. At least now the Govt have come out saying he should be sacked, hopefully EU listen, and if he is sacked what are the bets he comes back home and up for election for FG at first opportunity. Leo hasn’t the balls to kick him out of FG.
What about all the members of the senate @dail should they consider their position they still have their jobs they were elected for td@senators
Why are Fine Gael not moving to expel him from the party. In fairness to all the others that were involved, they admitted that they were wrong and have taken the ramifications of their actions without complaining. Meanwhile Commisioner Hogan is only admitting his transgressions on a piece meal basis and is using weasely words to try and paint himself in a not so bad light. While his European job is beyond the reach of the Taniste, his local base can be stripped from him. Over to you Leo
Everyone wants to use the war analogies – battling covid, frontline staff, invisible enemy, in it together – but nobody wants to take the darker bits from war – some folk are going to die here, difficult choices must be made, there may be risk to you but we need you out front and not everyone is equal. This means the safety of officers running the show comes before grunts in the front line otherwise there will be chaos. As if it needs elaborating, we are the grunts. With Brexit looming, Hogan is too important to our interests to push this too far. Like him or not (I’m on a fence, he works hard but did the deal on SA beef), he’s higher up the ranks than us plebs and far more useful to our immediate interests. He has to travel more to get stuff done, he might break a few rules. Get over it. Folk bitching about the fact he does deals over sessions. That’s how most deals are done. With personalities, separate to the fray. Like Hume and Bertie did countless times in NI. The best deals are done on golf courses, ironically (here’s Forbes 19 tips for closing the deal on golf courses https://www.forbes.com/sites/cherylsnappconner/2013/01/24/19-tips-for-closing-a-deal-on-the-golf-course/). Despite most thinking there is a bottomless pit of case keeping us afloat here, right now, we are fighting for our kids prosperity. After “the war” we can ditch him like the Brits did with Churchill. Cop on. Move on.
@Pete Byrne: At last, someone who sees the bigger picture.
@Wing Back: Haven’t seen this picture yet, is it on Netflix?
@Pete Byrne: he’s lost all credibility on the international stage, the very last thing that’s needed in a high level negotiator.
@Cormac Laffan: Won’t be on netflix, but will be shown across all news media globally…..If Hogan steps aside, you will see that PICTURE when the Commission is negotiating Brexit without any Irish official present.
@Wing Back: Flooding the EU with cheap beef from South America and cheap Lobsters from the US hardly bodes well for any future negotiations now does it?
John Hume was a negotiator, Phil Hogan’s actions so far prove he is not very good at it.
@Cormac Laffan: I never said anything in my reply about if he was a good negotiator or not. And to be honest I think that’s up to the commission to decide.
I don’t know the daily duties of the post, however the commission seen fit to appoint him to Trade, and I’m sure an element of that is based on his execution of his duties in his previous term in agriculture. I’m not going to look at all his accomplishments (good or bad in that role) as you clearly have.
If you read my post back I simply stated that there would be no Irish official present in negotiations if Hogan leaves his role. I don’t like him, and wish it was a different Irish official in the role so that it would be easy to support him. However the fact remains, he is Irish. And if he leaves, it won’t be an Irish person who replaces him in the Trade portfolio. It will be a current sitting commissioner, none of whom are Irish. And this will be a huge loss for Ireland at a crucial juncture in deciding our international trading future.
As I said, I do not like him….But putting personal feelings aside towards Hogan, even his biggest critics will see that Ireland losing a representative in that position is a major setback in our presentation on the international stage.
He He. A man that rejects the advice of a Government agency yet relies on a website supported by a government agency. This man should not be allowed into talks for 400 million EU citizens when he picks and chooses what Government advice he will follow or in this case not follow. He is not fit to represent the citizens of Europe and cannot be trusted as he did not tell the whole truth about his travels in Ireland.
That arrogant smirk. The smirking deserves a slap!
he went to hospital to get covid test so he could roam the country without doing 14 days
what a sneaky man
This boils down to:
1) He’s too stupid to understand the regulations,
or much more likely,
2) He flouted the regulations, knows it and now he’s skwirming to save his neck.
Either way he’s not fit to continue in office.
I wonder if hes even any good at golf? What an absolute lemon.
As leader of Fine Gael Varadkar is pathetic and least Micheal Martin has to blals to sack someone
@Tony Kennedy:
Leo won’t even kick him out of the party. They’re all buddies behind the scenes.
@Tony Kennedy: Leo can’t do anything, Phil Hogan has a job in Europe not Ireland.
Jaysus they are circling like vultures, Print media, the public, Dail Eireann, RTE e.t.c, Its not like he Murdered someone ffs, i strangely find myself actually rooting for him.
@James Tierney: it’s a witch-hunt ,
@Paul Buckley: yes, complete witch hunt. I wouldn’t expect Phil to fall on his sword. The poor sword wouldn’t be able for it.
@Paul Buckley: it’s a witch hunt for the right reasons though. Whatever spin anyone tries to put on it he has taken it upon himself to breach Covid guidlines and given the fact of who he is 1. He should have known better 2. He needs to be held to account for his actions 3. He is making up his story as he goes along so how can anyone have any faith or trust in him
The decision on Phil Hogan will tell us exactly what Commission think of our efforts to curtail Covid 19 and
There is the rule of law and the rules which all follow. EXCEPT for Phil Hogan. This is Phil law and rules which say no laws apply to me.
What dopes do we have in power asking Hogan to stand down. We will lose the EU Trade Commission portfolio, our influence on Brexit negotiations will be damaged. Most likely Ireland’s portfolio will be replaced by a smaller, different and less influential commission portfolio if he does resign.
Fianna Fáil Fine Gael Green Party Ireland Sinn Féin Ireland Labour Party Social Democrats need to get a serious cop on. Phil Hogan should not resign. Never mind damage control, the Government has sent 2 Ministers of Agriculture to Europe in less than 2 months. And another one on the way. Doesn’t look good in my book.
Let’s move on! Micheál Martin Leo Varadkar T.D. Eamon Ryan
@Paul William McCormack: As much as I really don’t like Phil Hogan – he has a mug you just want to punch – repeatedly, unfortunately, I think you are right.
@Paul William McCormack: You are spot on. Hogan is not liked for one reason or another even before the Golf. However our representation and presence on the international stage is important.
If he steps aside Ireland won’t get someone into such a crucial post, at such a critical juncture. It will be a current sitting commissioner. I think that fact seems to be lost in this debacle. Let him hang once we have got through Brexit, otherwise no Irish official will be present when the most important trade deal in Ireland history is struck.
@Paul William McCormack: 2 weeks ago he applied for a job with WTO so he’s totally dispensable in his current role. He is a
he went to hospital to get covid test so he could roam the country without doing 14 days
You’re all outraged, I get it, but this is mob justice at it’s worst. I thought Ireland was better than the Americans or the Brits, but this is what happened that lead to Brexit, and Trump getting into power.
As much as I disagree with what he did and the misinformation that he has consistently put out, the position of commissioner is outside the range of influence of the government of any EU country. A commissioner must pledge neutrality and individual governments must not interfere. Yes he’s despicable, but the government seems to be in breach of EU guidelines in trying to force him out
Do we not have some investigating journalists checking his account of his overnight stay in Dublin hospital.
Was he at the K-Club, is there a record of his telephone conversations with the American trade representative. Can it be confirmed that he was in Roscommon also. Guys get to the bottom of this and don’t let this As@@ole get away making fools of us.
@Mike Moran: Obtain his medical records is it? FFS!
Phil doesn’t seem to have any friends across the main parties. They are really out to get him. Good hunting!
Politics is a very interesting blood sport.
The FF led government is shining the spotlight on Big Phil to take the pressure off the judge and all the other members of the Oireachtas Golfing Society who were present at the dinner in Clifden, simply because they need one big victim for the good of the government and it seems that FG and the Greens are in accord. SF are naturally out of step but you have to look only over the border to see how they would react if they had been in government.
Will the EU let Phil Hogan be shafted?
A moot point but if Phil goes, then all the other participants should loose their government appointments, including the judge.
Hogan received assurances from his doctors, from the venue organisers and from the Citizens info website. So is his career to be in ruins because he did not check every possible website? It seems to me that he made an honest mistake, and that the government are now persecuting him out of political optics.
@Richard Barrett: Nothing about this whole fiasco was ‘an honest mistake’. He is clutching at straws here trying to use guidelines for someone displaying symptoms as a cover for his total disregard of the regulations for someone coming in to the country. His continued lying and omission of information from his statements shows that he is very much aware of what he has done and is showing a complete lack of remorse. His ‘mea culpa’ apologies ring totally hollow when it is still emerging that he was in Limerick a day earlier than his ‘detailed report’ to his boss states and was also in Roscommon which was not mentioned at all.
@Richard Barrett: and all to play GOLF.
Jesus leave the guy alone , he made a mistake
@Wiggy Wigsters Fitness: He did not ‘make a mistake’. He chose to ignore guidelines, broke the law and then issued more than one false statement to try to cover up his breaches. He continues to lie and more details of his trip that were not included in any of his statements, including his ‘detailed report’ to his boss in the European Commission, are emerging all the time. This is way beyond making a mistake.
@Wiggy Wigsters Fitness: He’s made several apparently and only owning up as proof emerges.
I think a shovel is too small at this point, better get a JCB digger!
He’s a throwback to Irish politicians of the 80′s. They simply would not go until they were literally carried out of the dail, except phil the phucker is answerable to no one in dail eireann. He’s above those plebs. He’s employed at the real centre of european power and sure they couldn’t give a phuck about golf in ireland. Gwan Phil. Phuck em all.
Tell us all somthing we dont know alleeady
Storm in a teacup the government should be running the country not conducting a pathetic witch hunt against an able person who is not answerable to them.
Yeah right
Translation, Big Phil knows something and Martin wants him to keep it to himself ;)
The eyes of the world on Ireland OVER A GAME OF GOLF and Dinner.
The coalition clowns
@EVOLUTION HYGIENE SALES: Go back to bed if that’s what you think.
the Gov have made their position very clear on Mr Hogan. I think it would be crazy if they were seen to influence the EU commission, and its a future disaster in the making.
Stick it out Phil
He seriously needs to grow a pair !!!
Firstly, I don’t like Phil Hogan, I don’t like his politics, I don’t like his arrogance and I don’t like how he comes across.
BUT, when I comes to having someone around the table for the Brexit trade negotiations he is exactly the type of p rick I’d pick. His pure I don’t give a $h17 what you think attitude is what I feel we need. For this reason and this reason alone I’m prepared to run a blind eye, for now.
Th quote The Commitments Mickah Wallace? He’s a savage! Yeah, but he’s OUR savage!
Phil Hogan could make it up to the people he let down , by pulling like a dog for Ireland . When we are dealing with the likes of Ignorant Boris Johnson and mad Donald Trump we need someone like Phil Hogan to stand up to them and get us a good deal.
A bad example to young people telling so many lies just go we had enough bye bye
Philosophy yourself a favour all that stress is bad for you or us
Of course he won’t because the taoiseach is a muppet
This is so funny Green Party Leader Eamonn Ryan throwing his hat into the Phil Hogan issue. This man who spends more time sleeping in the Dail its a wonder he even knew about the incident. Those shouldn’t throw stones who are themselves guilty of foul themselves.
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