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Former EU Commissioner Phil Hogan has accused the government of launching a “full-scale attack” against him for his compliance with Covid-19 restrictions.
r Hogan said he was not given “due process” and said he was “very disappointed” with the way he was treated after it emerged that he attended a golf event in Oireachtas.
In an interview with the people of Kilkenny, Hogan said: “The government had a large-scale attack on my compliance or otherwise.”
Mr. Hogan added that “he had no choice but to resign due to enormous pressure from the Taoiseach, the Tanáiste and the media.”
“I did not get due process, unlike others. I am very disappointed that there is a lot of effort focused on my resignation.
“I always feel that the Irish expect due process in the right forum. I did not understand that. They didn’t give me that opportunity, “he added.
Hogan was forced to resign after days of conflicting accounts he gave about his attending the golf event and his subsequent travel across the country, including his home in Kildare, which was closed at the time.
The government only learned of his trip to close Kildare when Garda Commissioner Drew Harris alerted him that Mr. Hogan had been detained in the county for talking on the phone. Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar later issued a statement saying that Hogan should consider his position on his breach of Covid restrictions.
Hogan was one of the last more prominent people to attend the golf event to resign.
Speaking to his local newspaper, the former Fine Gael minister said: “I did not violate any laws. There was a lot of confusion surrounding the advice. I did my best. I made mistakes when it came to interpreting the regulations ”.
“The regulations that currently exist are not compatible with the work that MEPs do,” he said.
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