Anna Kavanagh. The Auld Do As We Say And Not As We Do Brigade?DOUBLE SPEAK, DOUBLE STANDARDS AND DOUBLE CROSSING THE NATION AS 81 MINISTERS, TDs AND SENATORS ENJOYED GOLFING DINNER LAST NIGHT IN CLIFDEN
The Oireachtas Golf Society celebrated its 50th anniversary at a function room at the Station House Hotel, Clifden, Co Galway last night attended by more than 80 people, including the Agriculture Minister, senators and TDs.
The event came a day after the Government announced new lockdown restrictions and was clearly in breach of public health advice.
The Irish Examiner reports this evening that the table plan listed 82 people for the sit-down function, with up to 10 people per table, even though guidelines state no more than six people should be seated at any one table.
The hotel and society declined to confirm who had attended but the guest list included: Minister for Agriculture Dara Calleary and his wife Siobhan, Galway TD Noel Grealish, Senator Jerry Buttimer, Senator John Cummins, Senator Paul Daly, Senator Niall Blaney, former Fine Gael Senator Cáit Keane, Judge and former Attorney General Seamus Woulfe, the Moroccan Ambassador Lahcen Mahraoui, former Labour Party senator Lorraine Higgins, former Fine Gael Senator and TD for Sligo–Leitrim Gerry Reynolds, former Fine Gael senator Imelda Henry, Circuit Court judge and a former Workers' Party TD Pat McCartan, who serves as the vice-captain, and a number of others.
The Agriculture Minister and others have confirmed their attendance while others have been contacted by the Examiner for comment.
A spokesperson for the Minister of Agriculture Dara Calleary said: “The Minister was asked to attend the dinner and speak in tribute to a deceased long-serving former Oireachtas member.
"He did attend and spoke briefly. He left following the dinner and observed social distance throughout the event.”
A spokesman from The Station House Hotel said they consulted the Irish Hotels Federation, who told them that the event could go ahead with fewer than 50 people in each side of the room.
"My understanding of dining arrangements is that in any dining room it has to be fewer than 50," he said.
"There were 81 people at the event who dined with us, divided into 45 and 36.
"It's not a Mickey Mouse partition, it's a proper physical structure that divides two rooms, but it can be removed.”
Rise TD Paul Murphy said that the event should have been cancelled.
“It sends a very poor message when figures from the political establishment openly flaunt the guidelines when ordinary people have to cancel parties, arts events and weddings.
"Even if they could prove that the partition allows them get around the guidelines, it's a very flimsy excuse.
"In any case, the message that it sends out that you can get around the rules is not one that the political establishment should be sending out,” Deputy Murphy says.
Anna Kavanagh.
ReplyDeleteThe Auld Do As We Say And Not As We Do Brigade?DOUBLE SPEAK, DOUBLE STANDARDS AND DOUBLE CROSSING THE NATION AS 81 MINISTERS, TDs AND SENATORS ENJOYED GOLFING DINNER LAST NIGHT IN CLIFDEN
The Oireachtas Golf Society celebrated its 50th anniversary at a function room at the Station House Hotel, Clifden, Co Galway last night attended by more than 80 people, including the Agriculture Minister, senators and TDs.
The event came a day after the Government announced new lockdown restrictions and was clearly in breach of public health advice.
The Irish Examiner reports this evening that the table plan listed 82 people for the sit-down function, with up to 10 people per table, even though guidelines state no more than six people should be seated at any one table.
The hotel and society declined to confirm who had attended but the guest list included: Minister for Agriculture Dara Calleary and his wife Siobhan, Galway TD Noel Grealish, Senator Jerry Buttimer, Senator John Cummins, Senator Paul Daly, Senator Niall Blaney, former Fine Gael Senator Cáit Keane, Judge and former Attorney General Seamus Woulfe, the Moroccan Ambassador Lahcen Mahraoui, former Labour Party senator Lorraine Higgins, former Fine Gael Senator and TD for Sligo–Leitrim Gerry Reynolds, former Fine Gael senator Imelda Henry, Circuit Court judge and a former Workers' Party TD Pat McCartan, who serves as the vice-captain, and a number of others.
The Agriculture Minister and others have confirmed their attendance while others have been contacted by the Examiner for comment.
A spokesperson for the Minister of Agriculture Dara Calleary said: “The Minister was asked to attend the dinner and speak in tribute to a deceased long-serving former Oireachtas member.
"He did attend and spoke briefly. He left following the dinner and observed social distance throughout the event.”
A spokesman from The Station House Hotel said they consulted the Irish Hotels Federation, who told them that the event could go ahead with fewer than 50 people in each side of the room.
"My understanding of dining arrangements is that in any dining room it has to be fewer than 50," he said.
"There were 81 people at the event who dined with us, divided into 45 and 36.
"It's not a Mickey Mouse partition, it's a proper physical structure that divides two rooms, but it can be removed.”
Rise TD Paul Murphy said that the event should have been cancelled.
“It sends a very poor message when figures from the political establishment openly flaunt the guidelines when ordinary people have to cancel parties, arts events and weddings.
"Even if they could prove that the partition allows them get around the guidelines, it's a very flimsy excuse.
"In any case, the message that it sends out that you can get around the rules is not one that the political establishment should be sending out,” Deputy Murphy says.