EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan’s facing mounting pressure to resign after it emerged last night he was stopped by gardai for using his mobile phone while driving last week.
The Kilkenny man admitted he stopped in Kildare, which is under lockdown, to pick up some work papers on his way to the Oireachtas golf event in Clifden that’s under investigation for suspected breaches of public health guidelines.
The Taoiseach and Tanaiste had called for him to consider his position, and while he said he apologised unreservedly, he stopped short of resigning.
Rise TD Paul Murphy says it isn’t good enough to just ask him to consider his position.
However, the President of the Kilkenny chamber of Commerce says he’s not certain that calling for Phil Hogan’s resignation is necessarily the answer.
Colin Ahern says he believes everyone who attended the event regrets that decision now but that it’s not just these people who have made mistakes.
Speaking to KCLR News the local hotelier added mistakes have been made across sectors since the beginning of the Covid crisis.
Meanwhile, the Taoiseach will ask the Ceann Comhairle to recall the Dail later ahead of schedule.
Over the weekend, government said it would recall the Dail after schools reopen, however opposition TD’s have criticised the move saying it’s not soon enough.
