Covid-19 breaches claim EU trade commissioner Phil Hogan

EU trade commissioner Phil Hogan has resigned after a week of pressure over a breach of coronavirus guidelines.

EU trade commissioner Phil Hogan, a key figure in Brexit talks and one of the bloc’s most senior officials, resigned late on Wednesday, after a week of pressure over a breach of coronavirus guidelines.

Mr Hogan, 60, tendered his resignation to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen as the row rumbled on, and strong indications from the Irish government he should fall on his sword.

“It was becoming increasingly clear that the controversy concerning my recent visit to Ireland was becoming a distraction from my work as an EU Commissioner and would undermine my work in the key months ahead,” Mr Hogan said.

Ms von der Leyen, who had demanded he submit a detailed report of his movements after the row erupted, said she respected his decision, thanking him for his “tireless work”.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin and his coalition partners said Mr Hogan’s resignation was “the correct course of action given the circumstances of the past week”.

“We all have a responsibility to support and adhere to public health guidelines and regulations,” they added, saying Mr Hogan’s replacement would be considered “in due course”.

Mr Martin’s administration had said on Tuesday that Mr Hogan flouted a trio of coronavirus guidelines during a recent trip home from Brussels.

It said Mr Hogan, made trade commissioner last year, broke a 14-day quarantine after arriving in Ireland and failed to limit his travel in a county in the midst of a localised lockdown.

He also attended a parliamentary golf club dinner on August 19, in breach of coronavirus restrictions on social gathering numbers announced just 24 hours earlier in a bid to curb a surge in cases.

The sporting evening was attended by around 80 diners — including a cabinet minister, a supreme court judge and members of Ireland’s upper and lower houses of parliament. It’s being investigated by police and has prompted a series of high-level resignations, including agriculture minister Dara Calleary and deputy chair of the upper house Jerry Buttimer.

Mr Hogan has denied breaking coronavirus legislation and said he tried to act in line with voluntary government guidelines. But earlier on Wednesday Mr Martin said the government felt anger and annoyance at “the degree to which the commissioner has undermined public confidence in adherence to the health guidelines”.

“We’re very clear on all three fronts he breached the guidelines,” he said in Dublin.

Mr Hogan originally declined to apologise for attending the golfing event but a steady drip of revelations about his movements in the last week stoked public anger.

The scandal was compounded after it was revealed that he was pulled over by an Irish police officer for using his phone while driving.

Mr Hogan had previously claimed he was free to travel across Ireland rather than observing quarantine because he had received a negative coronavirus test.

AFP