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Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness has said she is interested in succeeding Phil Hogan as Ireland’s EU Commissioner.
Ms McGuinness, who is currently Vice-President of the European Parliament, spoke about RTÉ’s This Week program.
The post of Commissioner of Commerce was vacated following Hogan’s resignation from the post last Wednesday.
Ms. McGuinness said it would be a decision for the government to make, adding that no one from the government has contacted her to assess her interest in the position.
When asked if he would allow his name to advance to the position alongside Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, he said he would not hesitate to do so.
Ms. McGuinness said that we have been through a “difficult time” over the past week, with the name of the country in Europe being mentioned in ways that they would rather not.
Mr. Hogan resigned following controversy over his moves while in Ireland and his attendance at an Oireachtas Golf Society event in Clifden on 19 August.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, invited the government to put forward suitable candidates for a replacement commissioner, saying that she hoped it would present a male and female nominee.
He also said that “at a later stage it will decide on the final allocation of portfolios at the College of Commissioners,” a suggestion that Ireland might not retain the commercial portfolio.
Ms McGuinness said she hopes we can get past the golf dinner controversy and focus on the European issues that remain to be addressed.
She said: “I think it is very clear that when a member state is at the center of a difficult crisis or controversy, it lasts for several days.
“It is not good for us, it is an uncomfortable position … and I think that what they will measure us now will be our ability to recover, go ahead with the business in question and comply with the requests of Commissioner von der Leyen.” . “
When asked if Ireland’s reputation with Europe was damaged during the course of the dispute, he said that he thought the Taoiseach handled the situation well and that it was a very difficult time.
Fine Gael MEP @MaireadMcGMEP says it is interested in replacing Phil Hogan as EU Commissioner and said Ireland should listen carefully to the request to submit both a woman’s and a man’s name for the position @rtenews pic.twitter.com/imQL9gkYuG
– Samantha Libreri (@SamanthaLibreri) August 30, 2020
McGuinness said Ireland’s reputation was not damaged in such a way that it could not be recovered.
She said: “This is someone who is committed to Europe, and I think we have forgotten that here in Ireland. We have focused on Irish interests as if they were unique and different from Europeans.
“Whoever gets this job, male or female, should be a European commissioner, clearly with an Irish background, but not just batting for Ireland.”
On reports that the government can only put forward one candidate for office, Ms McGuinness said it would be “unwise” to do so, adding that she presumed the government would understand.
Ms. McGuinness said it was necessary to point out that Ms. Von der Leyen wants a gender-balanced commission and that since 1958 there have been 183 commissioners, 35 of whom were women.
On suggesting that gender balance be the primary factor in selecting the next commissioner, she said that Ms Von der Leyen will examine the credentials of both candidates who come forward and make her decision based on them.
Ms McGuinness said she still had a job to do as vice-president of the European Parliament and her focus was on that, rather than speculating on who would replace Hogan.
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