#Golfgate: EU Commissioner Phil Hogan has returned to Brussels

Mr Hogan was among over 80 people who attended Wednesday night's Oireachtas Golf Society event, which has led to the resignation of Agriculture Minister Dara Calleary. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

EU Commissioner Phil Hogan has left Ireland and returned to Brussels.

Mr Hogan was among over 80 people who attended Wednesday night's Oireachtas Golf Society event, which has led to the resignation of Agriculture Minister Dara Calleary.

He was on board a Ryanair flight from Dublin to the Belgian capital this morning. 

Sources say that the flight was booked yesterday, though a spokesperson could not confirm this detail.

Mr Hogan is expected back in his office as EU Trade Commissioner on Monday.

Having declined to initially, Mr Hogan has apologised for attending the event, but said that he had been assured it would follow the Covid-19 guidelines.

A statement last night apologised for "the distress" his attendance had caused.

Mr Hogan had been isolating at an address in Kildare following his return from Brussels.

However, a spokesperson said that he left Kildare for a medical appointment on August 5, before the localised lockdown was announced. From there, he convalesced in his native Kilkenny before travelling to the event in Galway.

A statement last night read:

“I can confirm that, at the European Commission’s midday briefing in Brussels earlier today, the Commission spokesperson expressed the Commissioner’s regret at his attendance at the dinner.

"The Commissioner has apologised for his attendance at the dinner and reiterated that he would not have attended had he thought that the event was not in full compliance with government guidelines.” 

Mr Hogan has received the backing of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyden, though some in Ireland have called for him to resign.

MEP Luke Ming Flanagan said that Mr Hogan and Mr Calleary had attended the same event and should suffer the same consequences.

Mr Flanagan said: "His position is not tenable, Micheál Martin got rid of Dara Calleary for doing the exact same thing so now he needs to talk to Ursula von der Leyen to tell her that Phil Hogan needs to be removed from his position.

"Because if it's good enough to remove Dara Calleary then he needs to talk to Ursula von der Leyen and he needs to get this man out of the position that he's in."