Daniel McConnell: Phil Hogan's resignation from EU Commission had become inevitable
The resignation of Ireland’s EU commissioner Phil Hogan had become inevitable.
Since the Irish Examiner broke the story about the golf event in Clifden last Wednesday, Mr Hogan’s presence there has been the source of considerable controversy.
August is normally the quiet season in politics but the fallout of the event last week has been simply staggering.
While agriculture minister Dara Calleary resigned early on Friday morning and did so with considerable honour, Mr Hogan’s response has been one of continued obfuscation and deflection.
A total of 12 statements, two dossiers and a TV interview ultimately were not enough to save him from the gravity of his own mistakes.
His ever-changing story and the slow pace of his so-called “fulsome apology” sealed his fate, not just in the court of public opinion but with his superiors in Europe too.
The departure of an EU commissioner is a very rare occurrence and such is scale of this scandal that Mr Hogan’s continuation in his post had become untenable.
The issuing of a joint statement by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, and Green Party leader Minister Eamon Ryan on Saturday night calling on Mr Hogan to “consider his position” was a game changer.
The revelation that he was stopped in Kildare on the phone while driving by a member of An Garda Siochana on his way to the Oireachtas golf event annoyed Taoiseach Micheál Martin no end.
But on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, a series of mixed signals emanated from the Irish government as to Mr Hogan’s fate.
After a flurry of statements from the commissioner and two separate apologies, Mr Martin and Mr Varadkar in separate radio interviews stopped short of calling for Mr Hogan to resign or that the Irish government had lost confidence in him.
However, in between their two outings, Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien did just that.
Then on Tuesday, attention shifted to Brussels when EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Mr Hogan’s boss and what she made of it all.
Despite his return to Brussels and his handing over of an initial 2-page memo on his movements in Ireland, she was not convinced by his story and wanted more.
She gave him until 2pm on Tuesday to furnish a complete dossier of his movements in Ireland and his compliance with the local Covid-19 restrictions.
His dossier, despite its bullish presentation, confirmed he broke the rules not once, not twice but at least three times.
The reaction from the Dublin government was swift.
The three leaders again issued a damning statement.
They concluded he “clearly breached” public health guidelines during his time in Ireland.
They also said Mr Hogan’s “delayed and hesitant release of information has undermined public confidence”.
"They also welcome his apology. However, concerns remain. It is clear that breaches of public health guidelines were made by Commissioner Phil Hogan since he travelled to Ireland,” the joint statement said.
The government guidelines clearly required him to restrict his movements for 14 days. He should also have limited his movements to and from Kildare for essential travel only, and he should not have attended the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner, the leaders said.
They said the government now awaits the outcome of the review being undertaken by the President. “Ultimately the Commissioner is accountable to the EU Commission, not to the Irish government movement or to the Oireachtas,” the statement concluded.
On Wednesday morning, Mr Ryan became the first party leader in government to formally declare a loss of confidence in Mr Hogan and while Mr Martin refused to go that far a few hours later, he made it clear he was most unhappy with Mr Hogan’s position.
Mr Martin said Mr Hogan has “undermined the whole approach to public health in Ireland”.
Speaking in Dublin on Wednesday, Mr Martin said there has been a “significant difficulty for the Government in terms of the changing narrative as this story has unfolded”.
He said he had spoken to Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar and the Green Party’s Eamon Ryan about the issue.
In Brussels, the daily EU Commission press conference was again dominated by the Hogan affair and Ms von der Leyen’s spokeswoman made clear the matter was not yet resolved.
It was clear, even if it was not said, that the president, like the political class in Ireland, was not happy with Mr Hogan’s ever-changing story.
A week on from the controversy, and pressure not subsiding, Mr Hogan and his team were left with little or no option but to bring the curtain down on his commissionership.
Mr Hogan’s departure represents a vindication too for Mr Martin and his government in taking the stance they did on Mr Hogan’s behaviour.
They pressed the nuclear button and while they were made wait for the outcome they sought, they have ultimately been proven right.
However, in addition to the loss of Mr Hogan, there is likely to be considerable fallout for Ireland in Brussels because of this.
A dangerous Rubicon has been crossed. A national government has essentially orchestrated events to force the removal of an EU commissioner, who are supposed to be beyond the reach of domestic controversies.
Simon Coveney, the former Tánaiste and current foreign affairs minister is the favourite to succeed Mr Hogan, but there is no guarantee Ireland will keep the important trade portfolio.
There will be fences to be mended and at a time when Ireland needs all the help it can get when it comes to dealing with Brexit, the Hogan affair was the last thing it needed.
While Mr Hogan’s resignation has been far too long in coming, many will feel – better late than never.