Oireachtas Golf Society scandal
A total of 81 guests attended a dinner organised by the society, including a number of high-profile Oireachtas members; the European Commissioner for Trade, Phil Hogan; and a Supreme Court judge, Séamus Woulfe.
The scandal resulted in the resignations of Hogan; the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Deputy Leader of Fianna Fáil, Dara Calleary; and the Leas-Chathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann, Jerry Buttimer.
Under the third phase of a roadmap issued by the government for reopening the national economy after the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, indoor gatherings of up to 50 people had been permissible since 29 June when conducted in line with public health advice.
[1][2] However, in response to an increase in confirmed cases, Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced on 18 August that more restrictive measures would be reintroduced across the country until 13 September, in an effort to limit the spread of the virus.
[3][4] Among the restrictions announced were a limit on indoor gatherings and events to six people from no more than three households, with exemptions granted for weddings, certain religious ceremonies and cultural facilities, provided appropriate protective measures could be maintained.
The dinner was held in a single room with a removable dividing partition, splitting the 81 attendees into 45 and 36 people on either side in an effort to enforce social distancing.
[8] It was also reported that former independent TD and Monaghan County Council member, Paudge Connolly, had attended the dinner despite playing in another golf event in Spain just nine days previously.
[23] Calleary's resignation made him the second Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to lose his job in less than two months, following the sacking of Barry Cowen on 14 July 2020 for a controversy surrounding driving under the influence of alcohol.
[28] As well as the resignations of Calleary and Leas-Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann, Jerry Buttimer, six senators who attended the event also lost the party whip as punishment.
[29] Speaking on RTÉ News: Six One on Friday 21 August, Martin would not comment on the position of judge Séamus Woulfe – citing the need for legislature not to interfere with the judiciary in line with the Constitution of Ireland – but while he suggested that Phil Hogan should apologise for attending the event, Martin declined to comment on whether he should resign, saying that Hogan's position was a matter for the European Commission.
[32] The Leader of the Labour Party, Alan Kelly, said that not only had the government lost the confidence of the people, but also that he had rarely seen such public anger in response to a political issue as to the event.
[40] It was announced on 24 August that the Supreme Court had requested a former Chief Justice, Susan Denham, to report on Woulfe's attendance at the dinner, including the question of whether he should have accepted the invitation and whether "he should in all the circumstances have left the hotel in light of the situation prevailing".
[48][49] Martin, Varadkar and the Leader of the Green Party, Eamon Ryan, released a joint statement on 25 August, stating that while it is clear Hogan breached COVID-19 public health guidelines, they welcomed his apology.
[62] The four men (Grealish, Cassidy, along with James and John Sweeney, of the Station House Hotel in Clifden) went on trial on 6 January 2022, charged with breaching the COVID-19 regulations.
