EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan has told RTÉ News that he broke no regulations while in Ireland, was no risk to anybody but made big mistakes and is very embarrassed.
Earlier, he published a timeline of his movements here after he arrived from Brussels on 31 July, including details of a trip to Adare, Co Limerick to play golf on 13 August.
Mr Hogan said he arrived in Ireland on 31 July and travelled to his temporary residence in Co Kildare, before being admitted to a Dublin hospital on 5 August.
He said he tested negative for Covid-19 while in hospital and was discharged the next day before returning to his residence in Kildare.
“I am satisfied arising from the test that I did that proved it was negative that I was no risk to anybody,” Mr Hogan said.
“Because of the fact that I had a negative test. Because my medical people said I was no risk to anybody. I checked with the Citizens Information website which is funded by the HSE and I felt that I was no risk to anybody by going to Adare.
“I understand the perception. I was covered by the regulations that my work-related activities and under the regulation there is a reasonable excuse mechanism that allowed me the exemption to do that.”
Earlier, he provided around 20 pages of documents to the President of the European Commission in the ongoing controversy over his trip and the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner in Clifden, Co Galway, according to an EU official.
The documents include guidelines from the Irish Hotels Federation and a map of Ireland showing individual counties.
In the interview with RTÉ’s Six One News, Mr Hogan said he accepts that he should not have attended the Clifden event.
“In hindsight I was wrong and a made a mistake … and I apologise for it. I am embarrassed about it.
Mr Hogan said he accepts he should have apologised in full last Friday.
“I should have issued a fulsome apology on the Friday when all of this was breaking. I did not do so, and I regret that. I apologised strongly on Sunday and I did that in as fulsome a way as I possibly could.
“I broke no regulations in my view. I did my work. I was home on holidays. I tested negative for Covid-19 but I did not break any Covid-19 regulations.
“I apologise profusely to the Ireland people and I hope they will accept that,” Mr Hogan said.
“I have made a mistake. I have apologised for that. I have damaged my reputation. I hope it hasn’t damaged the reputation of the (European) Commission to any great extent. There are six other commissioners.
“At the end of the day I am asking the Irish people that I can acknowledge to them that I did everything I possibly could to comply with the Covid regulations.
“I have apologised. I have communicated all of that to the Irish people, to the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste, and it is now it is up to the (EU) commissioner to decide whether I complied with all of the regulations, and I believe I did.
“I know many families have been suffering. Many families whose relatives have died, the frontline workers that are doing excellent work, I have to say I got a greater appreciation of that when I was in Ireland. I have to say I did not realise that fully enough while I have been here in Brussels.”
In his earlier statement, Mr Hogan said he adhered to the Government’s Covid-19 guidelines at all times while in Ireland.
He also stated that he fully accepts that it is “abundantly clear that the event should not have been held” and that he should not have attended this dinner.
In the details he provided to Ms von der Leyen, Mr Hogan says he arrived in Ireland on 31 July and travelled to his temporary residence in Kildare, before being admitted to a Dublin hospital on 5 August.
Mr Hogan said he tested negative for Covid-19 while in hospital and was discharged the next day before returning to his residence in Co Kildare.
“As I had received a negative Covid-19 test while in hospital, I was not under any subsequent legal requirement to self-isolate or quarantine,” he said in his statement.
However, according to the HSE Coronavirus helpline, travellers to Ireland from a non-Green List country must restrict their movement for the full 14-day period, regardless if they test negative for Covid-19 after their arrival.
In his statement, Mr Hogan said he travelled from Co Kildare to Co Kilkenny on 7 August, the day the Government reimposed restrictions on the county. Mr Hogan said he travelled “before the local lockdown rules came into effect”.
The Commissioner said he travelled to Dublin on 12 August for “essential work reasons”, and while there he met with Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Minister Robert Troy.
Mr Hogan said he played golf in Adare, Co Limerick the following day and returned to Kilkenny.
He said that on 17 August he travelled from Co Kilkenny to Co Galway via Co Kildare. In the statement Mr Hogan said he “stopped briefly” in Co Kildare at the property he had been staying in to collect some “personal belongings and essential papers”.
Mr Hogan said he played golf in Clifden, Co Galway on 18 and 19 August, and attended a formal dinner on 19 August.
He said he returned from Galway to Kildare on 21 August “to collect my remaining personal belongings”, and stayed there overnight to catch an early morning flight to his primary residence in Brussels the next morning.
Memorandum to President von der Leyen outlining the relevant requirements issued by the Irish Government in relation to #Covid19, and how I adhered to them at all times during my recent visit to Ireland: https://t.co/ZhwJ7SwIPU
— Phil Hogan (@PhilHoganEU) August 25, 2020
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Timeline of Phil Hogan’s movements in Ireland
Having sent an initial report to President von der Leyen on Sunday night, Ireland’s EU commissioner was asked for further clarifications yesterday, and this morning the President’s spokesperson said she had set a deadline of 2pm Brussels time for any outstanding information.
The spokesperson told reporters this morning that Ms von der Leyen also expected Mr Hogan to publish a timeline of all of his movements in Ireland during his stay.
The extra clarifications appear to focus on the varying lockdown rules that applied in different counties.
Ms Von der Leyen’s spokesperson said this morning that she needed further context on the local lockdown rules which, she said, differed from county to county.
However, asked if Mr Hogan would have to resign, the spokesperson said that it was “absolutely premature” to talk about what sanction he may or may not face once Ms von der Leyen had concluded her findings.
One official said there had been intense contacts between the President’s office and Mr Hogan’s cabinet, with documents being provided as requested.
It is understood these included the guidelines on Covid-19 compliance issued by the Irish Hotels Federation, and a map of Ireland showing Kilkenny in relation to other counties.
It is understood the formal Commission response to the controversy could come as soon as later this afternoon.
Dara Calleary resigned as Minister for Agriculture and Jerry Buttimer resigned as Seanad Leas-Cathaoirleach on 21 August after it was confirmed they were also at the dinner.
President of the Oireachtas Golf Society and former TD and senator Donie Cassidy also resigned as vice president of Fianna Fáil in the wake of the controversy.
Meanwhile, former minister for transport Shane Ross has called on Supreme Court judge Mr Justice Séamus Woulfe, who also attended the event in Clifden, to resign.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, Mr Ross said: “We are holding judges to a lower standard if he doesn’t go than we are holding politicians in a situation of real gravity for this country.”
The Supreme Court has requested retired chief justice Susan Denham to prepare a report on the actions of Mr Justice Woulfe over his attendance at the golf dinner.
Separately, the President of the Irish Farmers Association, Tim Cullinan, has said Ireland needs a strong EU Trade Commissioner in place that the Government is aligned with, as a bad trade deal in Brexit will mean “Armageddon” for Irish farmers.
Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One, Mr Cullinan said that the IFA is a non-political organisation, but is clearly concerned that as a trade deal is going on and “we need a strong Commissioner dealing with trade in place and we need our Government aligned with that Commissioner and aligned with the EU Commission” to ensure the best deal comes for Irish farmers and the country as a whole.
He said it is costing €7.3 billion a month to run the country and if there is a bad Brexit deal, it will be “Armageddon for this country”.
