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Golfgate: Multiple public figures breach COVID-19 restrictions

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    #32
    Sam Russell
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 19,362 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sam Russell


    L1011 wrote: »

    Commissioner is clearly higher than MEP; but she has specific sights on head of the Parliament which is much the same.

    But a definite position is better than a possible one.

    Also, she would need to be re-elected MEP, while if she cuts it as a commissioner, she might get o keep the position in five years time, or retire on a nice collection of pensions.


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    #33
    Good loser
    Registered Users Posts: 3,169 ✭✭✭Good loser


    Laws are enacted by legislators for the good of society in general.


    They are not personal to either the proposers or those who vote through the measures.


    The obligations to obey the law are the same for every citizen.


    Breaches of the law should be punished as necessary in line with the provisions of the relevant Act.


    That is sufficient.


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    #34
    bertiebomber
    Registered Users Posts: 728 ✭✭✭bertiebomber


    phil hogan thinks hes irreplaceable he is arrogant and self serving - being on the table for ireland not at all he hates ireland and the irish establishment he gets 350,000 from Europe screw ireland.


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    #35
    W123-80's
    Registered Users Posts: 2,075 ✭✭✭W123-80's


    Am I the only one who thinks Michael Martin got off lightly on this whole debacle?
    The entire media witch hunt is focused on Phil Hogan.
    The Taoiseach did an interview for 22 minutes on the 6 One news last Thursday or Friday and he was never once asked the most obvious question...
    'Was he aware that this oireachtas golf outing was going ahead?'
    I have not heard any media commentator make this point yet?
    Surely if he knew it was going ahead he should have told them to cancel, and if he allowed it to go ahead his position is as untenable as Callearys and Hogan's.
    If he didn't know it was going ahead then it's even worse and he has lost control.
    Either way I think he is getting off very light.
    I think he should be facing much harder questions for allowing this to go ahead. He is the bloody leader of our country.


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    #36
    Podge_irl
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 25,306 Mod ✭✭✭✭Podge_irl


    W123-80's wrote: »
    If he didn't know it was going ahead then it's even worse and he has lost control.

    It is "even worse and he has lost control" if he is not aware of the social calendar of a golf club? That is an utterly absurd reach.

    As you succinctly point out, he is the leader of the country not the golf club's social secretary.


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    #37
    Bellview
    Registered Users Posts: 2,678 ✭✭✭Bellview


    Podge_irl wrote: »
    It is "even worse and he has lost control" if he is not aware of the social calendar of a golf club? That is an utterly absurd reach.

    As you succinctly point out, he is the leader of the country not the golf club's social secretary.

    I don’t understand how Cassidy and the other organisers have not stepped down .. as the golf society need some cleansing at the top as unfortunately they were also misguided with thinking event was ok .. infainess enda Kenny headed home after the golfing.. pity o there’s did not do the same


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    #38
    Roanmore
    Registered Users Posts: 1,801 ✭✭✭Roanmore


    Bellview wrote: »
    I don’t understand how Cassidy and the other organisers have not stepped down .. as the golf society need some cleansing at the top as unfortunately they were also misguided with thinking event was ok .. infainess enda Kenny headed home after the golfing.. pity o there’s did not do the same

    It's been disbanded hasn't it?


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    #39
    Frank Bullitt
    Registered Users Posts: 11,284 ✭✭✭✭Frank Bullitt


    Hogan doing himself no favours with his tone on this at all.

    https://twitter.com/newschambers/status/1298305532156153861


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    #40
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,697 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Interview on RTE there where he tried to blame him mis-reading the citizens information website; blame his doctors; blame the hotel; blame the Hotels Federation etc etc etc.

    The hotel management are not innocent but they are not responsible for an individual person going.


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    #41
    Frank Bullitt
    Registered Users Posts: 11,284 ✭✭✭✭Frank Bullitt


    https://twitter.com/newschambers/status/1298317427395239936


    Citizes Info have hit back at him here.


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    #42
    James Brown
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,015 ✭✭✭✭James Brown


    It seems Phil believes if you test negative for Covid you're good to go, go anywhere you like. I think he confused not having it with being immune to catching and spreading it.


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    #43
    Alice1
    Registered Users Posts: 2,633 ✭✭✭Alice1


    He's a bit arrogant in my opinion. He came from a country that is not on the "green" list. What on earth made him think he was not to follow the guidelines all others have to follow? (He's not coming across as very bright)


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    #44
    Bellview
    Registered Users Posts: 2,678 ✭✭✭Bellview


    Alice1 wrote: »
    He's a bit arrogant in my opinion. He came from a country that is not on the "green" list. What on earth made him think he was not to follow the guidelines all others have to follow? (He's not coming across as very bright)

    Agree with you Completely On Phil

    but how many tourists have traveled from UK and us and moved around the country and the tourists are bigger risk to health of state .. even some of us complaining about him may not be following all rules as well... walk into most hotels in Ireland and the only people wearing mask or shields are the staff.. everyone else is not..


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    #45
    Bellview
    Registered Users Posts: 2,678 ✭✭✭Bellview


    Alice1 wrote: »
    He's a bit arrogant in my opinion. He came from a country that is not on the "green" list. What on earth made him think he was not to follow the guidelines all others have to follow? (He's not coming across as very bright)

    Agree with you Completely On Phil

    but how many tourists have traveled from UK and us and moved around the country and the tourists are bigger risk to health of state .. even some of us complaining about him may not be following all rules as well... walk into most hotels in Ireland and the only people wearing mask or shields are the staff.. everyone else is not..


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    #46
    Sam Russell
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 19,362 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sam Russell


    Well, he has resigned.

    https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/phil-hogan-to-resign-as-eu-commissioner-amid-controversy-over-breaches-of-covid-19-restrictions-1.4339219


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    #47
    Larbre34
    Registered Users Posts: 23,797 ✭✭✭✭Larbre34


    If I had to choose his replacement myself, in the circumstances we are in, I'd send Bertie Ahern or John Moran.


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    #48
    Citizen2011
    Registered Users Posts: 101 ✭✭Citizen2011


    Brian Hays also was in attendance and he epitomises the attitude “do as I say and not as I do”.


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    #49
    Sam Russell
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 19,362 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sam Russell


    Larbre34 wrote: »
    If I had to choose his replacement myself, in the circumstances we are in, I'd send Bertie Ahern or John Moran.

    Would either want it? Are either the right gender? Would either be able to command the trade portfolio?

    Didn't think so.

    I would pitch Mairead McGuinness, MEP.


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    #50
    Cole
    Registered Users Posts: 1,491 ✭✭✭Cole


    Talk about 'cutting off your nose to spite your face' from Micheal and co. They pushed and pushed and off he goes...

    I've never been a Phil Hogan fan at all, but we've just lost a massive political presence in the EU...with Brexit hurtling down the tracks. By all accounts, he was good at his job and a bit brashness and arrogance (while not usually admirable) might be what is needed dealing with the British government in the coming months.

    Our government shooting themselves in both feet. Phil will probably head off to a nice big corporate job somewhere.


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    #51
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,697 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Cole wrote: »
    Talk about 'cutting off your nose to spite your face' from Micheal and co. They pushed and pushed and off he goes...

    I've never been a Phil Hogan fan at all, but we've just lost a massive political presence in the EU...with Brexit hurtling down the tracks. By all accounts, he was good at his job and a bit brashness and arrogance (while not usually admirable) might be what is needed dealing with the British government in the coming months.

    Our government shooting themselves in both feet. Phil will probably head off to a nice big corporate job somewhere.

    This angle is massively overblown.

    He wanted to, and Leo/Michael supported him in, bugger off to the WTO only a few months ago.

    The last few days have shown that when pressure is put on him, he is unreliable so everyone negotiating now knows how to get at him.

    Its exceptionally unlikely they'll reshuffle the Commission so we'll still have Trade.


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    #52
    moon2
    Registered Users Posts: 677 ✭✭✭moon2


    Cole wrote: »
    Talk about 'cutting off your nose to spite your face' from Micheal and co. They pushed and pushed and off he goes...

    Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

    It's also worth pointing out that you are essentially saying that if you're good at your job you should feel free to break as many rules as you want. Applied more generally to all members of the government this would be a pretty toxic trait to encourage.

    I'd much rather the government show that no individual is "too big to fail". I'm glad our government is strong enough to do this.


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    #53
    Cole
    Registered Users Posts: 1,491 ✭✭✭Cole


    L1011 wrote: »
    Its exceptionally unlikely they'll reshuffle the Commission so we'll still have Trade.

    I hope you're right.


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    #54
    thomas 123
    Registered Users Posts: 2,509 ✭✭✭thomas 123


    Cole wrote: »
    Talk about 'cutting off your nose to spite your face' from Micheal and co. They pushed and pushed and off he goes...

    I've never been a Phil Hogan fan at all, but we've just lost a massive political presence in the EU...with Brexit hurtling down the tracks. By all accounts, he was good at his job and a bit brashness and arrogance (while not usually admirable) might be what is needed dealing with the British government in the coming months.

    Our government shooting themselves in both feet. Phil will probably head off to a nice big corporate job somewhere.

    Seen this all over social media today, what has he actually done for Ireland though? The mercosour deal and the more recent deal with the US both will have a negative impact on Irish farmers and fishermen.

    Also a lot of people seem to think our closest geographic neighbor is going to fall off the face of the earth come brexit. Irish to uk deals have an always will trump eu deals imo.


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    #55
    Cole
    Registered Users Posts: 1,491 ✭✭✭Cole


    moon2 wrote: »
    It's also worth pointing out that you are essentially saying that if you're good at your job you should feel free to break as many rules as you want.

    With respect, it's not worth pointing out what I'm "essentially" saying...because that's not what I'm saying. I don't know where the evidence is that he has broken as many rules as he has felt like.

    Despite his breaking of the rules around Covid19, his loss is likely to be greater than any damage he's done...in my opinion.


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    #56
    StackSteevens
    Closed Accounts Posts: 873 ✭✭✭StackSteevens


    Presumably Billy Kelleher MEP will be the lynch mob's next target?


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    #57
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,697 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    StackSteevens wrote: »
    Presumably Billy Kelleher MEP will be the lynch mob's next target?

    There's a Supreme Court judge and a few ex-TDs with nice public funded (directly or indirectly) jobs in the way.


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    #58
    StackSteevens
    Closed Accounts Posts: 873 ✭✭✭StackSteevens


    L1011 wrote: »

    Its exceptionally unlikely they'll reshuffle the Commission so we'll still have Trade.

    Not if we send Ursula a dud.

    Presumably the government's nominee, if a TD, will have to come from a constituency with a winnable seat - and there may not be all that many of those.

    Although the by-election will probably be deferred until next year.


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    #59
    StackSteevens
    Closed Accounts Posts: 873 ✭✭✭StackSteevens


    L1011 wrote: »
    There's a Supreme Court judge and a few ex-TDs with nice public funded (directly or indirectly) jobs in the way.

    But Billy is a cut and dried case - came straight from Brussels to Cork and was seen in Dublin next day. So he must go - unless the government admits that Big Phil was thrown overboard mainly because they were scared sh1tless by the public outrage.


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    #60
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,697 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    StackSteevens wrote: »
    Not if we send Ursula a dud.

    Presumably the government's nominee, if a TD, will have to come from a constituency with a winnable seat - and there may not be all that many of those.

    Although the by-election will probably be deferred until next year.

    It won't be a current TD. There's been a handful of decent suggestions, one in particular more qualified to take the role than anyone else is ever likely to be.

    Would need primarily legislation to delay a BE based on primary legislation brought in after FF tried to avoid BEs in 2010.


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    #61
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,697 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    StackSteevens wrote: »
    But Billy is a cut and dried case - came straight from Brussels to Cork and was seen in Dublin next day. So he must go - unless the government admits that Big Phil was thrown overboard mainly because they were scared sh1tless by the public outrage.

    Did he do it again? He did it months ago (for the eventual Govt formation) when the rules weren't as cut and dried and it was mostly ignored because there were plenty of other people breaking the rules that weekend.

    I'd be more than happy to see him go; but it'd just result in Malcolm Byrne taking the MEP seat if he wanted it; or next on the list - an ex Renua member :eek:


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