Phil Hogan may seek compensation over 'Golfgate' resignation

Former EU Commissioner Phil Hogan said he “did not rule out the idea of demanding compensation for the damage suffered".

File Photo: Former EU Commissioner Phil Hogan has indicated he may look for compensation from the EU over his resignation in Aufust 2020, in the wake of the GolfGate story. Photograph: Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie

Phil Hogan, Ireland's former EU Commissioner looks set to seek compensation from the European Commission following his resignation in August 2020 over the Oireachtas golf society controversy.

Mr Hogan, in an interview with French newspaper, Libération, said he “did not rule out the idea of demanding compensation for the damage suffered".

Mr Hogan, a former senior Fine Gael minister was seen as a heavy hitter at the top tier of the Commission in the Trade portfolio before his resignation amid controversy about his movements across Ireland at a time of severe lockdown.

His resignation followed a demand from Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for him to account for his time in Ireland following the public outcry once the Golfgate event was revealed by the Irish Examiner.

At the time Mr Hogan did apologise for attending the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner in Clifden, Co Galway, but always maintained he did not breach Covid-19 quarantine rules.

In the interview, Mr Hogan said that during the golf dinner, he had been sitting next to the former Minister for Agriculture Dara Calleary, who, he said: "participated in the Government meeting which decided on the new restrictions."

Mr Hogan then met the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen four times in three days following the controversy, which erupted on August 19.

On Monday August 24, Ms Von der Leyen asked Mr Hogan to write a precise chronology of his movements.

In his comments to the newspaper, Mr Hogan makes clear that Ms von der Leyen saw the intervention of Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan as crucial in his eventual departure.

In the article, Mr Hogan said he felt "that she [von der Leyen] wants to end this affair as quickly as possible and that she wants me to leave. She immediately believed in the interpretation given by the Irish Government, which claimed that I had undermined its pandemic strategy by my actions." 

The paper states that the following day, Ms Von der Leyen "demanded" that Mr Hogan give an interview to RTÉ "to explain himself".