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EU COMMISSIONER PHIL Hogan has issued his much-anticipated report to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about his movements in Ireland this month.
Hogan has faced scrutiny to explain how he spent his time in Ireland in recent weeks following the fallout from the Oireachtas Golf Society event last week.
In a memorandum to Von der Leyen this afternoon, Hogan outlined how he travelled between Kildare, Kilkenny, Dublin, Limerick and Galway during his stay here.
Here’s the timeline of his movements released this afternoon…
Hogan arrives in Ireland, where he completes the Passenger Locator Form before travelling to his temporary residence in Co Kildare.
Hogan is admitted to a Dublin hospital for a medical procedure. While in hospital, he tests negative for Covid-19, adding in his statement that ”a negative test result ends the self-restriction period”.
Hogan is discharged from hospital and returns to his temporary residence in Kildare.
Hogan travels to Kilkenny. In a previous statement, he says he travelled to the county “for a period of convalescence” and to complete his period of quarantine.
Localised lockdowns come into effect in Kildare, Laois and Offaly.
Hogan travels to Dublin for work at the European Commission office.
While in Dublin, he holds separate meetings with Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Minister of State with responsibility for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation Robert Troy to brief them on ongoing negotiations with the US.
The Irish Examiner is reporting today that he stayed in the Dunraven Arms Hotel in Adare, Co Limerick that night. However, Hogan’s statement does not explain where he travelled to after his work in Dublin.
Hogan plays golf in Adare, Co Limerick before returning to Kilkenny.
Hogan travels from Kilkenny to Galway via Kildare, where he stops briefly at his property to collect personal belongings and papers relating to the ongoing trade negotiations with the US.
On his journey, Hogan states that he was stopped by a garda for using his mobile phone while driving.
Hogan plays golf in Galway and stays in Clifden. His statement this afternoon says he did not take part in any formal dinner or reception that night.
Hogan plays golf in Clifden again, before attending the now infamous Oireachtas Golf Society dinner with Minister Dara Calleary, Independent TD Noel Grealish and dozens of others.
Hogan returns from Galway to his residence in Kildare to collect his remaining personal belongings, including his passport.
He stays there overnight before an early morning flight to Brussels. Meanwhile, ‘golfgate’ dominates Irish news headlines.
Hogan returns to Brussels.
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The man needs to resign. He thinks he is untouchable and is sticking two fingers up at the rest of us who he sees as being beneath him.
@Brian Madden: a negative result DOES NOT end an isolation period as you may not yet test positive if not symptomatic that’s why the 14 day quarantine
@Tony Gordon: total hogwash…
On 17 August 2020, en route to Galway from Kilkenny, I briefly stopped off at my apartment in Kildare to collect essential work papers concerning the EU-U.S. trade talks.
So he went to meeting with Leo and them without these essential papers that he had to get on 17th sure.
@LITTLEONE: also why would he need to get the papers if going to a golf dinner, a bit of light reading while playing a round? It’s complete BS to cover the fact that he brainfarted by going back to Kildare during the lockdown or knowing Phil didn’t give a monkeys what anyone would think.
@Brian Madden: Bollox, the guy needs to move around wherever he needs to, he’s running the AG ministry of the EU. Did the police and nurses stay at he in Kildare. Cop on people.
@LITTLEONE: The papers were in his golf bag which he also took with him
@LITTLEONE: The papers were in his golf bag which he also took with him
@Brian Madden: last time I checked kildare was not on the way to Galway from kilkenny.. Also in days after this shambles he stated he went straight to kilkenny after been discharged from hospital yet now he saying went to kildare first.. Well he should have had another visit to hospital to get his fóir out of mouth lying arrogance of him and if he met Leo you can bet Leo knew he was going to Galway
@George Demo:
Yardage book for CGC was all the paper that was in his golf bag, not important papers pertaining to his role as EU Commissioner for Trade.
@James Neill: Why were these ‘important papers’ not available on a laptop computer? Are there no printers in Galway? Could one of his 13 assistants in Brussels not printed them and sent them by courier to Galway?
@Earth Traveller: Phil’s ‘team’ in Brussels: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/commissioners/2019-2024/hogan/team_en
@Earth Traveller: exactly, it stinks of ‘jaysus lads someone come up with something believable to get rid of this’, whereas it’s fairly obvious he went back for clothes and golf clubs i.e. not essential travel
@Brian Madden: leo just tell the EU TO FIRE him this is bigger than having an edge on brexit. they should all resign because if they are allowed to stay it undermines the whole democratic system & sends out a message that they are bigger than the laws made for the people!
@Tony Gordon: “If you have tested negative for COVID-19, you will receive your results by text message. You do not have to self-isolate any longer.”
https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/covid19/testing_for_covid19.html
@LITTLEONE: he might also tell porkies to the Americans during trade talks old school politican.
@Mícheál: That only relates to the self isolation you have self-imposed because you had symptoms, it’s not related to the 14 day isolation requirement.
Are the UK Brexit trade negotiators going to take this man seriously after this debacle considering in their jurisdiction politicians always resign without being pushed when they are caught doing wrong?
He conviently left out the part about staying in Adare in his letter to the European President… That’s a bigger sin now. He lied to the European President
@a politicians promise is as good as a lie:
This Gowl thinks he is above everybody and just sneers at everyone.
He thinks he is above having to explain his lies and B/S.
Well now his B/S has stuck to him and now he is damaged and tainted goods with no credibility at all.
He has to go or be sacked.
Getting away while driving with a mobile phone is killing me. There is no mercy for the rest of us.
@Brendan Woods: 100% and there should be no mercy for anyone for using while driving.
@Brendan Woods: I really don’t understand this, surely anyone getting caught using their mobile while driving now automatically must only receive a caution. Undermines Road Safety measures no end. Gardai can say it’s at their discretion, but you could argue the case.
@Keith Twamley: Indeed you could! Take it to court and cry Woulfe!
His actions and subsequent letter are an affront to the people of Ireland. Children have missed their birthday parties, Weddings have been cancelled, funerals held without family members and our our sick have died on their own, alone and scared. And Mr Hogan considers a golf jolly to be justifiable? Let there be no excuses, everyone who attended or facilitated that event on Clifton has to be held to account. Apologies are not enough. Resignations are required, from everyone starting with Mr Hogan and right through to to the manager of the hotel. No exceptions.
@ISAM: Absolutely. Nothing else will cut it at this stage
@ISAM: loads of people play golf ?! Whats your point ? He moves in high circles. Thats his job !
@ISAM: totally agree.. the whole thing should have been cancelled AGES ago.. how did they think this was not going to get out..!!
@Aunties: What’s my point? Are you for real? Our public representatives are not exempt from common law and by any democratic standard it’s a reasonable expectation that they lead by example. Mr Hogan has already lost the commissioners role. The whole media circus is abhorrent in the extreme. In the same manner appointments made to the judicial system are now untenable and this will be found to be the case. It’s inconceivable that an individual can be called on to pass judgement yet display such a lack of judgement in a personal capacity.
@ISAM: While I don’t condone most of his actions, it’s a bit much to slate him for playing golf. The restrictions that saw us all miss funerals, weddings etc. don’t now apply to sports. There are plenty of people playing golf and other sports, restaurants are packed to capacity in tourist areas and people are travelling all over the country. I’m from killarney and the place has been jointed for weeks
Golf on a Thursday, a Tuesday and a Wednesday. Chap has it sussed.
@Cisrán O’ Donoghue: copying Trumps style of leadership
Neck like a Jockeys bollix. Why was he holding a phone? Bluetooth in all cars now and I’m sure he drives a top of the range one.
@Olivia Smith: men of his age aren’t very tech savvy!
@Martin: Give over ffs, he didn’t get where he is without knowing how to press a button on the steering wheel.
@Olivia Smith: I’ve seen plenty of men and women in high powered roles and you would be surprised what they can and can’t manage, he probably had never paired his phone to whatever new car he has
I wish I had half the neck. What a remarkable show of arrogance
Interesting that he allegedly travelled to Kilkenny the day before the Kildare Lockdown came into effect… He’s selling us a bag of magic beans.
No mention of playing golf in the KClub on August bank holiday Monday 2 days before we got his negative test for Covid. So he broke his isolation rules. Still lying.
Is there no way that FG can remove his party membership card? That is property of FG Ireland and not the EU, is it not?
If only Rory worked on his game as much as Big Phil #majornumber5
Can we find out what Brian Hayes was doing at the event? We should be asking the banking outfit that he represents what were they at sending their man along to an event such as this as a persuader with his bag of money no doubt.
Phil ” the trickle” first water,now information grrrrrrrrrrrrr
Dare any Of the riffraff use a phone while driving.
Out ya go Big Phil and close da door behind ya.
Busy man. Very important negotiator for Ireland’s economic future in the world. I’d lay off him. He apologized.
Let him get on with his irreplaceable negotiations on our behalf.
I vote SF by the way.
@Aunties: “Ireland’s economic future” ohhhh, gotta love that one. After lockdown #2 we’ll have a recession on top of a recession. Brexit will be the last of our worries. Oh dear, economy trashed! Mehole will probably negotiate another special offer loan. Buy one, pay for 3.
@Aunties: I agree, much as we like to see someone this arrogant taken down a peg or two, we have to look at the bigger picture.
@Stephen Doyle: No we don’t he has to go
@Aunties: I think the banker/judges/politicians socialising is a much much bigger story…What judgements were this group involved in lately, laws changed to suit vultures etc so many questions and so many judgements yet to be called in to question..
Get in to that proper and literally half the TD’s would have to resign…
@Aunties: he has told lie after lie how could anyone trust him.. He blatantly lued about being in kildare before going to Galway.. He didn’t self isolate so he put the staff at hotels in danger he also broke lae by been on phone, he took 3 days to even apologise and only then when job under threat
@Sean O’ Donovan: Brexit is never least of our worries.
I see the FG mob are out in force today.
Enough already. Move on
I can’t believe we’re still talking this. Who cares, let him do his job. All the haters. Get off social media and go for a walk.
@JoyMonkey: ….or get a life
Who cares! Media trying to run the country.
Testing negative for Vovid 19 means that on time of test you showed no signs of covid 19. It does not say you were negative next day. Therefore all isolation rules apply.
How does he get time to do his job he spends more time travelling and playing golf we all been told to restrict our travel to assenchel jorneys since when did golf and golf dinner outings become essential Sack him has costing us a fortune in travel expenses
I’d love to bounce a balloon off his spongey hairless head
How do i make a comment less “ toxic “
Well done Stephen in Journal.ie for getting Hogan’s time line out for all to see! Gosh how can a guy perceived to be a intelligent, smart negotiator get it so wrong! Honesty is always the best policy! Hogan’s position as Commissioner is very shaky this p.m.! I don’t envy Ursula Van L.
@anne kelly: If she doesn’t sack him, she is telling every EU citizen that EU Commissioners can travel around Europe and disobey laws and rules with immunity.
This is worse than cummings
Yawn, must be slow news week
So he went to Kildare again after Galway despite it being in lockdown ???
The reaction to this a bit hysterical. He hasn’t killed or injured anyone. Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone. Lots of us have used our phones when we shouldn’t and it seems to me that more than half the population are breaking or have broken Covid regulations. The bigger question is: is he doing a good job in Brussels? Moral indignation from Sinn Féin is just too much to take considering the litany of awful crimes committed by their friends over the years!
Complete lie!
From listening to the radio and TV today.. its looking like Mr Hogan is going to get away with this.!!
I’d like to know his toilet habits
have your say