Covid 19 Part XXI-27,908 in ROI (1,777 deaths) 6,647 in NI (559 deaths)(22/08)Read OP

Minister and 80 people at golf event in breach of health guidelines
Minister and 80 people at golf event in breach of health guidelines

More than 80 people, including the Agriculture Minister, senators and TDs attended a golf function in a hotel in breach of public health guidelines just a day after the Government announced new lockdown measures to stop the spread of Covid-19.

The Oireachtas Golf Society event to celebrate its 50th anniversary was held at a function room at the Station House Hotel, Clifden, Co Galway last night, even though public health advice clearly states "no formal or informal events or parties should be organised in these premises".

The table plan listed 82 people for the sit-down function, with up to 10 people per table, even though guidelines state no more than six people should be seated at any one table.

The hotel and society declined to confirm who had attended but the guest list included: Minister for Agriculture Dara Calleary and his wife Siobhan, Galway TD Noel Grealish, Senator Jerry Buttimer, Senator John Cummins, Senator Paul Daly, Senator Niall Blaney, former Fine Gael Senator Cáit Keane, Judge and former Attorney General Seamus Woulfe, the Moroccan Ambassador Lahcen Mahraoui, former Labour Party senator Lorraine Higgins, former Fine Gael Senator and TD for Sligo–Leitrim Gerry Reynolds, former Fine Gael senator Imelda Henry, Circuit Court judge and a former Workers' Party TD Pat McCartan, who serves as the vice-captain, and a number of others.

The Agriculture Minister and others have confirmed their attendance while others have been contacted for comment.

A spokesperson for the Minister of Agriculture said: “The Minister was asked to attend the dinner and speak in tribute to a deceased long-serving former Oireachtas member.

"He did attend and spoke briefly. He left following the dinner and observed social distance throughout the event.”

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The event was organised by the President of the society and former Fianna Fáil TD Donie Cassidy and honored Galway man and former Fianna Fáil MEP Mark Killilea Jnr, who died in 2018. Mr Killilea's family was in attendance at the event.

A spokesman from The Station House Hotel said they consulted the Irish Hotels Federation, who told them that the event could go ahead with fewer than 50 people in each side of the room.

"My understanding of dining arrangements is that in any dining room it has to be fewer than 50," he said.

"There were 81 people at the event who dined with us, divided into 45 and 36.

"It's not a Mickey Mouse partition, it's a proper physical structure that divides two rooms, but it can be removed.

It was booked a few months ago, the guidelines were going to change 50 up to 100 but didn't, so we spoke to the Oireachtas Golf Society, and the Irish Hotel Federation (IHF), and we were told that as long as there were no more than 50 diners, it was safe.

An email from the IHF to members on Wednesday, seen by the Irish, stated: "Further to the Government announcement yesterday in relation to further Covid-19 restrictions, the Department of Tourism has not yet received any guidance on the changes as of this morning.

"Therefore, the status quo remains in terms of current operational procedures for hotels until further notice."

The IHF says that it is seeking guidance from the Department of Tourism on the guidelines.

Rise TD Paul Murphy said that the event should have been cancelled.

"I think it's extremely poor that this event went ahead. It shows that they think it's one rule for them and another for everybody else.

It sends a very poor message when figures from the political establishment openly flaunt the guidelines when ordinary people have to cancel parties, arts events and weddings.
"Even if they could prove that the partition allows them get around the guidelines, it's a very flimsy excuse.

"In any case, the message that it sends out - that you can get around the rules - is not one that the political establishment should be sending out."

Taoiseach Micheál Martin today again appealed to people to reduce meetings and social contacts as much as possible as the virus continues to spread.

"The overall message from NPHET public health advice is they want to reduce meetings as much as they possibly can.

"They want people to reduce the number of social contacts that they have because the numbers have gone up.

"We want to save lives, we want to protect livelihoods."