Golfgate: Four to be charged with organising event
It is understood Senator Donie Cassidy will appear before a Co. Galway district court in relation to allegations that he took part in organising the gathering. File photo: Collins
Two politicians and two others are to be charged with breaching health regulations by organising last August's Oireachtas Golf Society dinner.
Four people are to be prosecuted for arranging the event, an annual golf outing, and a prize-giving dinner, attended by over 80 people just a day after public health restrictions were tightened to limit indoor gatherings to six people, reduced from 50, with some exceptions.
It's understood former Fianna Fáil TD Donie Cassidy and Independent Galway TD Noel Grealish are to appear before a Co. Galway district court in relation to allegations that they organised the gathering.
The two other people to be prosecuted are not public figures but were involved in the organisation of the dinner at the Station House Hotel in Clifden, Co Galway.
Sources have confirmed that the Garda investigation focused mostly on the organisation and logistics of the event, with one witness saying it was "very technical and very focused on the organisation of the event".
Attendees who gave statements were questioned as witnesses and were supplied with 12 questions from Clifden Garda Station given over to them by their local gardaí.
Questions included how the guest came to be invited, the layout of the room itself and specifically whether or not there was a partition in the room.
They also asked technical questions, inquiring whether there was a microphone for speeches, and were said to be "very much focused" on the divisions in the room and whether any public health guidance was given on the night.
A garda investigation was launched after the event was first revealed in the last August.
A statement from the Gardaí said: "An Garda Síochána has received directions from the DPP in relation to the prosecution of four individuals for organising an event in contravention of health regulations at a commercial premises in Galway in August 2020.
"Summons have been lodged with the Courts, and District Court dates in relation to each of the individuals are awaited. An Garda Síochána will not be commenting further."
The health regulations in question are Section 31A(6)(a) and (12) of the Health Act 1947, as amended by Section 10 of the Health Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2020. The penalty for the breaches are fines of up to €2,500 and up to six months in prison.
The controversy led to public uproar due to the restrictions in place at the time it took place as well as the public profiles of those who attended including some Oireachtas staff, sitting senators from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, an ambassador and an EU Commissioner as well as a number of former senators and TDs.
The fall-out from the event saw then-Agriculture Minister Dara Calleary swiftly resign from his role in Cabinet, while Senator Jerry Buttimer resigned his role as Leas Cathaoirleach of the Seanad.
Five other senators (Niall Blaney, Paul Daly and Aidan Davitt from Fianna Fáil and Paddy Burke and John Cummins from Fine Gael) who attended the event lost the party whip as punishment but have since had it reinstated.
EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan was also forced to resign for his attendance after a period, and former Attorney General and now-Supreme Court Justice Seamus Woulfe went through a highly publicised process in which he was encouraged to step down before refusing and managing to hold onto his seat on the bench.
The Oireachtas Golf Society has since been disbanded.
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