#Golfgate latest: Von der Leyen requests explanation from Phil Hogan; Sinn Féin plays down his Brexit role
Sinn Féin's leader Mary Lou McDonald has played down the importance of EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan's role in the ongoing Brexit trade deal negotiations.
The opposition leader has said she is not convinced of Mr Hogan's significance and said the performance of the EU's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, particularly in the last few rounds
of the talks, was of more importance for Ireland.
Beidh deireadh le hidirthréimhse #Brexit i gceann 5 mhí: Fágfaidh 🇬🇧 Margadh Aonair & Aontas Custaim an 🇪🇺
— Michel Barnier (@MichelBarnier) August 24, 2020
Beidh athruithe ann, le comhaontú ar an gcomhpháirtíocht nua nó gan é. Is gá do chuideachtaí & do shaoránaigh 🇮🇪 ullmhú:
https://t.co/V1QkyCXXaO@eurireland https://t.co/aLRXgagUBA
Public calls for Phil Hogan's resignation over his attendance at an Oireachtas golf society dinner in Co Galway that was in breach of public health guidelines have been met with criticism.
Opponents of the call say this reaction would deny Ireland's best interests during the Brexit negotiations as the trade portfolio held by Mr Hogan is very important for the talks.
Ms McDonald said: "I am not entirely convinced of that argument. I think certainly in the last rounds of Breit negotiations, Michel Barnier has acquitted himself very well.
"In fact truth be told it was Michel Barnier and his team that did the heavy lifting."
Ms McDonald also said the Taoiseach should recall the Dáil sooner than next week to discuss the issue.
Sinn Féin's Mc Donald said the Dáíl needs to be recalled immediately.
“We’re hearing more confused and garbled messaging. I mean, Government has to get its act together and it has to do so quickly.
“I think the event at Galway was the straw that broke the camel’s back, the final straw for so many people after weeks and weeks of confusion, and a real public sense that the Government had lost any sense of direction or purpose,” Ms McDonald said.
The European Commission President has asked Phil Hogan to further explain his actions around the controversial Galway golf dinner.
The Trade Commissioner submitted a detailed report to the President last night as requested.
Ursula von der Leyden has read the report and asked for further clarifications.
It comes as Mr Hogan faces calls to resign, including from a Government Minister Darragh O'Brien.
European Commission Deputy Chief Spokesperson Dana Spinant said its important more detail is provided.
Ms Spinant said: "This is a matter which requires careful assessment on our side.
"It is a matter where details count. The President has requested further clarifications because details are important and she wishes to have them."
The latest development comes as Taoiseach expressed his fury at Mr Hogan's presence at the Co Galway dinner.
Micheál Martin has said that he made his anger very clear to EU Commissioner Phil Hogan about his attendance at the Oireachtas Golf Society event in Clifden.
Mr Martin also said that the event should never have happened.
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne Show, Mr Martin said he had asked Commissioner Hogan to consider his position over the weekend.
Of even more concern to him, he said was if the Commissioner had breached Covid restrictions in Kildare. That was very serious.
Mr Martin said he had received a call from the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to inform him that Mr Hogan had been stopped by gardaí for using a mobile phone while he was driving in Kildare.
This was of concern to him and the Tánaiste, he said, as this information was not in accordance with what Mr Hogan had initially said about being in Kildare.
Mr Martin said that given there was a discrepancy between Mr Hogan's statements, he needed to know that the restrictions in Kildare were not breached.
He and the Tánaiste had asked the Garda Commissioner for full details on the incident.
Gardai were at the forefront of implementing guidelines, he added. The question was if Mr Hogan had been in full adherence of the restrictions.
There was understandably a lot of anger from the public about what had happened, he said. People had made huge sacrifices, particularly people who lost loved ones and could not give them a proper funeral.
Mr Martin he would like to see a “very comprehensive statement” from Mr Hogan to fully explain his position around the restrictions in Kildare.
Mr Martin also said Mr Justice Séamus Woulfe should not have attended the event, but this was something the judiciary needed to look at.
EU Commissioner Phil Hogan should "make himself available to be interviewed", the Taoiseach has said, but Micheál Martin stopped short of saying that Mr Hogan should resign.
Mr Hogan was one of over 80 people who attended last week's Oireachtas Golf Society dinner which has seen the resignation of Agriculture Minister Dara Calleary and Seanad Leas Cathaoirleach Jerry Buttimer.
Thus far, Mr Hogan has refused to resign, though Commission President Ursula von der Leyden is monitoring the situation "closely".
Speaking to RTÉ's Claire Byrne, Mr Martin said that the he and the public both need assurances that Mr Hogan, who was stopped by gardaí for using his mobile phone while travelling to the event in Galway, "I need and the public need absolute assurances that the restrictions that were imposed in Kildare are not breached. That to me would be very serious indeed."
However, Mr Martin didn't go as far as his Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien, who called for Mr Hogan to resign, despite the Taoiseach saying that he was "very angry" about the event.
He said Mr Hogan should "make himself available to be interviewed" but said that "I can't say I don't have confidence in him as a European Commissioner".
Mr Martin said that he was convinced that the government "would survive" and said that he has held constructive meetings with Leo Varadkar and Eamon Ryan in recent weeks.
The Taoiseach also confirmed that Mr Calleary has resigned as Deputy Leader and National Secretary of Fianna Fáil.
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