Opposition parties demand the Dáil be recalled in face of wave of anger over Oireachtas golf event

Social Democrats co-leader, Catherine Murphy TD, is among those calling for the Dail to return.Photo:Gareth Chaney/Collins

Opposition leaders across the spectrum have called for the Dáil to be recalled next week in order to bring clarity to the Covid-19 situation, as the fallout from a golf event in Co Galway which saw one Minister lose his job continues.

Social Democrats leader Catherine Murphy, speaking at Leinster House, said that “the anger is getting worse” amongst the public, adding that “we’re making more work for ourselves by not recalling the Dáil”, stating it is the chamber where collective complaints regarding the current coronavirus restrictions should be debated.

Regarding the by-now infamous meeting of the Oireachtas Golf Society in Clifden on Wednesday night, Ms Murphy focused on the presence of Supreme Court judge Seamus Woulfe and EU Commissioner Phil Hogan at the event.

“I question why a Supreme Court judge would be at something like that in the first place,” she said, citing the separation of powers between the legislature and the judiciary.

“They’re trying to say that there were two events, there wasn’t, there was one. There were people who were there who were directly responsible for making the rules, Seamus Woulfe and Dara Calleary.

“The Dáil has to be recalled, there has been a huge loss of public confidence,” she said. 

Asked whether or not the Government can salvage the situation she said: “I don’t know but they’re going to have to work hard at it. 

“There is a difficulty with the messaging, I know by my inbox.

“Generally every year there is a call for the Dáil to be recalled because of an individual event. This is different, it’s not individual, and the Government has to realise that. I have to say, it wouldn’t fill you with confidence,” she said.

Meanwhile, Labour Party leader Alan Kelly said he had “rarely ever seen such public anger” regarding the attendance at the event of members of the Oireachtas including the now former Minister for Agriculture Dara Calleary.

“People are completely and utterly infuriated and disgusted,” Mr Kelly told RTÉ’s News at One, adding that the event shows “there is one rule for normal people and another for the elite”.

Former attorney Attorney General, Seamus Woulfe. Ms. Murphy expects Chief justice to have "a long conversation with him". Picture: Gareth Chaney Collins

“Today has been a very, very bad day, this has undermined public confidence in what we have all been trying to achieve in terms of fighting Covid, and I don’t believe it stops here. The Dáil needs to be recalled immediately,” he said.

“It’s gone beyond a joke now how the confidence is gone,” he said. 

Regarding the position of Mr Hogan, who has been backed by the European Commission as having attended “in good faith” and who has said he had been assured by the hotel that attendance at the event was in accordance with the regulations, Mr Kelly said “the Taoiseach needs to speak to the Commissioner”.

“If the Government doesn’t have confidence in its Commissioner then that changes things,” he said. “As for Seamus Woulfe, if he was still Attorney General when this happened then he wouldn’t still be in his position, whether it was Leo Varadkar or Micheal Martin who were Taoiseach." 

"I would expect the Chief Justice is going to sit down and have a long conversation with him.” 

Earlier today Mr Martin had refused the request of Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald that the Dáil be recalled at a private meeting between the two.

Ahead of this Eoin O'Broin, Sinn Fein’s housing spokesman, had called for all politicians in attendance at the event to resign.

Mr O'Broin said that if Mr Hogan and other senators were allowed to remain in their roles, it would undermine public confidence in the entire Covid-19 restrictions. 

"This isn't about somebody breaking a rule, this about widespread public confidence in this government and the inability of a government that is completely chaotic. It appears completely dysfunctional. 

"I think Dara Calleary has done the right thing and I think others should follow suit,” Mr O'Broin said, adding that Tánaiste Leo Varadkar's "silence" this week "spoke volumes".