Golfgate: Phil Hogan 'clearly breached' Covid rules

European Commissioner Phil Hogan

The Government has piled fresh pressure on embattled EU commissioner Phil Hogan by stating he “clearly breached” public health guidelines during his time in Ireland.

In a damning statement released late on Tuesday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, and Communications Minister Eamon Ryan also said Mr Hogan’s “delayed and hesitant release of information has undermined public confidence”.

“The Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister Ryan acknowledge Commissioner Phil Hogan’s recent written and public account of his movements when he travelled to Ireland. They also welcome his apology. However, concerns remain. It is clear that breaches of public health guidelines were made by Commissioner Phil Hogan since he travelled to Ireland,” the joint statement said.

The 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, the leaders said.

They now await the outcome of the review being undertaken by the President. 

He is accountable to the EU Commission, not to the Irish government or to the Oireachtas.

Mr Hogan breached public health guidelines by cutting short his Covid-19 isolation period, by travelling out of Kildare, and by attending the Oireachtas golf event last week, records released by him on Tuesday revealed.

In a dossier of his movements demanded by commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, Mr Hogan confirmed he cut short his mandatory 14-day quarantine having travelled to Ireland from Belgium on July 31, but insisted he complied with government rules.

Mr Hogan said that having tested negative for Covid-19, he was allowed to cut short his quarantine period, but that was contradicted by clear advice from the HSE.

Mr Hogan also accepted he should not have attended the golf event in Clifden last Wednesday and said he was “embarrassed” by his mistake and restated his apology.

The event, which had 80 other attendees, was run in breach of government rules.

In his first interview since the scandal erupted after the Irish Examiner revealed the details of the event, Mr Hogan said that he "didn't accept" that he had breached Covid-19 lockdown rules.

Mr Hogan said he relied upon information from the Citizens Information website which he said made it clear a negative result meant he could end his quarantine. He included this explanation in his dossier to Ms von der Leyen.

However, the HSE clarified that people who return from non-Green List countries such as Belgium should isolate for 14 days and the Department of Health said that "guidance does not state that a negative Covid test shortens the 14-day restricted movement requirement".

The dossier makes no mention of the evening of August 12 after the Irish Examiner on Tuesday reported that Mr Hogan had stayed and dined in Adare, Co Limerick, one day before his 14-day isolation would have expired.

The document confirms that he played golf the following morning at Adare Manor. Multiple sources have confirmed that Mr Hogan dined at a restaurant in the town and stayed at the Dunraven Arms on the same day that he had travelled to Dublin to meet Mr Varadkar, a meeting the commissioner said was "essential".