A SINN FÉIN MEP has admitted that Phil Hogan got the better of him during the confirmation hearing for the former minister’s role as EU Agriculture Commissioner last October.

Matt Carthy was on there receiving end of a political smackdown from the robust former Fine Gael minister when he tried raise a range of controversial issues that Hogan had faced when environment minister in Ireland, most notably the consultancy fees at Irish Water.

Carthy (right) with fellow MEP Luke 'Ming' Flanagan who also failed to land a punch on Hogan during the committee hearing last year.

But Hogan responded by reading out a letter from Carthy’s party colleague in Stormont who had congratulated the incoming commissioner on his new role before noting “a little break-down in discipline in Sinn Féin”.

In an interview TheJournal.ie, Carthy admitted it wasn’t his finest hour while also handing out some unlikely praise for Hogan:

Read: Laughter and applause for Phil Hogan, as Sinn Féin challenge falls flat