Tag Archives: Oireachtas Golf Society

Chief Justice Frank Clarke (left) and Supreme Court Justice Séamus Woulfe

This evening.

The Supreme Court has released a statement concerning court member Justice Séamus Woulfe and his attendance at the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner last week.

Justice Woulfe signed off on the Covid regulations as Attorney General prior to joining the Supreme Court in July.

The statement read:

“The Supreme Court has requested former Chief Justice, Ms Justice Susan Denham, to consider certain questions arising out of the attendance of Mr Justice Seamus Woulfe at an event in the west of Ireland last week and to report her conclusions and recommendations to the Chief Justice.

“Ms Justice Denham has agreed to that request and will commence her work immediately.

“Ms Justice Denham has been asked to consider whether Mr Justice Woulfe should have accepted the invitation to dinner. In addition, whether he should, in all the circumstances, have left the hotel in the light of the situation prevailing.

“Furthermore, whether he should have attended the golf event without attending the dinner. In the context of those questions Ms Justice Denham has also been asked to consider whether there are any relevant codes of practice or guidelines and to make any recommendations in that regard which she considers appropriate.

“This non-statutory approach has been necessitated because of the fact that relevant sections of the Judicial Council Act 2019 have not yet been commenced.”

Via Orla O’Donnell

Denham, eh?

Previously: Woulfe Trapped

Rollingnews

Former Attorney General Séamus Woulfe SC, right, making a socially-distanced declaration before the Chief Justice Frank Clarke to become a Supreme Court Judge on July 24

Further to Golfgate.

Supreme Court judge and former Attorney General Justice Séamus Woulfe yesterday apologised for attending the Oireachtas Golf Society’s 50th anniversary dinner at the Station House Hotel, Clifden, Co Galway on Wednesday night.

In a statement, Mr Justice Woulfe, who was appointed to the Supreme Court last month, said he was not aware there would be an organised dinner as part of the event and understood that the hotel would be “operating within Government public health guidelines”.

However, it appears the signing off of the regulations that limited events to 50 people was either Mr Woulfe’s last, or one of his last, actions as Attorney General.

Below is a timeline of events as they pertain to Justice Woulfe and the Covid regulations. Any corrections will be made.

April 7: Minister for Health Simon Harris signs a statutory instrument – SI 121 – which restricts people from both organising and participating in events.

It states:

“A person shall not – (a) hold an event in a relevant geographical area unless – (i) the event is a relevant event, and (ii) the number of participants in the event is limited to not more than is reasonably necessary having regard to the nature of the purposes for which the event is held, or (b) participate in an event in a relevant geographical area unless – (i) the event is a relevant event, and (ii) the person is a relevant participant.”

The regulations’ define ‘relevant event’ as being events that are necessary or essential such as providing an essential service, going to a shop, attending a medical appointment, seeking medical assistance, donating blood, visiting a vet, exercising within 2km, attending court and providing emergency assistance,

It’s reported that Minister Harris activated these regulations following a meeting with the Attorney General Séamus Woulfe and the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, with The Irish Times reporting:

“It is understood signing of the regulations was delayed as the Government’s lawyers worked out the precise wording and extent of the powers. Gardaí now have the power to arrest and detain those who breach the restrictions. This includes those found exercising beyond 2km from their homes or those travelling for non-essential reasons. Convictions will result in a maximum sentence of six months in prison and a fine of €2,500.”

It’s also reported that, ahead of the signing of the regulations, Mr Woulfe gave a presentation to the ministers “and outlined to Ministers how gardaí could arrest and detain anyone who refused to comply with the Government restrictions.”

June 8: Gardai lose the power to enforce the movement restrictions as previously outlined. However, anyone who organises events for more than 15 people could still face a criminal penalty.

This follows the signing of SI 206 by Minister Harris which revokes SI 121. S1 206 provides that:

“A person shall not organise, or cause to be organised, an event for cultural, entertainment, recreational, sporting, social, community or educational reasons other than – (a) where one or both of the following applies: (i) the maximum number of persons attending, or proposed to attend, the event (for whatever reason) does not exceed 15 persons…”

The statutory instrument says there are penal provisions in respect of the organisers but do not mention any criminal penalty for participants.

It also states these regulations shall remain until June 28, 2020.

June 26: Minister Harris signs the statutory instrument SI 234 which provides that:

“…a person shall not organise, or cause to be organised, an event for cultural, entertainment, recreational, sporting, social, community or educational reasons in a relevant geographical location other than where one or more of the following applies: (a) in the case of an indoor event, the maximum number of persons attending, or proposed to attend, the event (for whatever reason) does not exceed 50 persons…”

The statutory instrument states these regulations shall remain until July 20, 2020 and that organisers of events which breach the rules face criminal penalty.

June 27: Attorney General Séamus Woulfe is succeeded by Paul Gallagher SC.

July 15: Mr Woulfe is nominated as a Supreme Court judge.

July 18: Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly signs SI 252 which extends SI 234 until August 10.

July 24: Mr Woulfe is declared a Supreme Court judge.

August 9: Minister Donnelly signs SI 298 which extends S1 234 until August 31.

August 18: After a three-and-a-half hour Cabinet meeting, Taoiseach Micheál Martin announces new restrictions to take effect immediately until September 13. These include that a maximum of six people are to be seated at a table at restaurants and cafes (including pubs that serve food and hotel restaurants); and that no formal or informal events or parties should be organised in these premises.

Further to the announcement of these restrictions, Agriculture Minister Dara Calleary tells RTÉ’s Six One:

“We have to be in this together… if we act together, we can once again stem the flow, like we did previously and we can manage to learn to live with this disease, as we are going to have to do for so many months to come.

“The decisions today were difficult, it’s a lot harder and a lot more challenging to open up the country than it was to close it and I know that they will cause inconvenience and disappointment to people but they are necessary in light of the figures…

“We have to live with that inconvenience and live with the difficult decisions that we’ve had to take today.

“…the restrictions on houses, and gatherings on houses is specifically targeted at house parties where younger people are gathering and have gathered. And it will send a message to them that those gatherings cannot continue. I heard today, on the Sarah McInerney show, a doctor from Cork saying that Covid loves to party.

“It does but it does on the basis that people are gathering in bigger numbers so that’s why we’ve had to restrict the numbers this evening.

“…it comes down to each of our own personal responsibility and each of our own personal choices in this. We all need to reduce our networks regardless of what age we are. The contact tracing has shown that the amount of people, that people are in touch with, is growing larger and larger every week…”

August 19: Agriculture Minister Dara Calleary is among more than 80 people who attend the Oireachtas Golf Society’s 50th anniversary dinner at the Station House Hotel, Clifden, Co Galway on August 19.

EU Commissioner Phil Hogan. former RTÉ presenter Seán O’Rourke, Fine Gael Senator Jerry Buttimer, Justice Woulfe and many others, also attend.

August 20: Political Correspondents Aoife Grace-Moore and Paul Hosford, of The Irish Examiner, break the story about the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner. They report that the 81 people who attended the event at the hotel were divided by an open partition, into two sets of 45 and 36, while the event’s table plan listed 10 people per table.

Gavan Reilly of Virgin Media News reports that the Department of Health has confirmed that regulations have not yet been signed in respect of the restrictions announced on August 18.

The restrictions under SI 234, which were previously extended until August 31, continue. This means anyone who organises an event for cultural, entertainment, recreational, sporting, social, or community reasons, where the number of participants exceeds 50, could face criminal penalty.

(S1 234 was signed into law by the former Minister for Health Simon Harris a day before Mr Justice Woulfe ended his term as Attorney General)

August 21: Mr Justice Woulfe issues a statement about his attendance, saying:

“I confirm that I attended one day of the Oireachtas Golf Society outing in Ballyconneally on Wednesday, 19th August, as an invited guest. I was not aware in advance that there was going to be an organised dinner as part of the event.

“On learning of the proposed dinner during the course of that day, my understanding was that the organiser and the hotel had satisfied themselves that they would be operating within Government public health guidelines.

“I attended based on that understanding, that it would be within the guidelines, but do apologise for any unintentional breach of any of the new guidelines on my part.

“I would never disregard governmental or health authorities advice regarding public health, and have been at pains to follow rules and guidelines since their introduction in March. That I ended up in a situation where breaches may have occurred, is of great regret to me, and for which I am sorry. I unreservedly apologise.”

Meanwhile…

Under Article 34.6.1 of the Constitution, every person who is appointed as a judge takes the following oath:

“In the presence of Almighty God I do solemnly and sincerely promise and declare that I will duly and faithfully and to the best of my knowledge and power execute the office of Chief Justice (or as the case may be) without fear or favour, affection or ill-will towards any man, and that I will uphold the Constitution and the laws. May God direct and sustain me.”

Under Article 35.4.1:

“A judge of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, or the High Court shall not be removed from office except for stated misbehaviour or incapacity, and then only upon resolutions passed by Dáil Éireann and by Seanad Éireann calling for his removal.”

According to the Association of Judges in Ireland:

“To date no judge has ever been removed and the phrase in Article 35.4.1 referring to “stated misbehaviour or incapacity” has never had to be judicially interpreted.”

Yesterday: Wig On The Green

Pic: Courts Service of Ireland

Sean O’Rourke

This evening.

Former RTÉ broadcaster Seán O’Rourke tweets that he regrets and is sorry for attending the Oireachtas Golf Society’s 50th anniversary dinner at the Station House Hotel, Clifden, Co Galway on Wednesday night.

Earlier: Par For The Course

 Resigned [Updated]

“An Unintended But Serious Lapse Of Judgment”

Put Your Dukes Up

Rollingnews

Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar

Just now.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar wades into golfgate.

Earlier:  Resigned [Updated]

“An Unintended But Serious Lapse Of Judgment”

Put Your Dukes Up

In the last few minutes.

Fine Gael Senator Jerry Buttimer tweeted the above letter he has resigned as Leas Cathaoirleach of the Seanad.

Mr Buttimer was one of 81 people, including former Agriculture Minister Dara Calleary, EU Commissioner Phil Hogan, Supreme Court judge and former Attorney General Seamus Woulfe, former RTÉ presenter Seán O’Rourke and Senator John Cummins, who attended the Oireachtas Golf Society’s 50th anniversary dinner at the Station House Hotel, Clifden, Co Galway on Wednesday night.

Mr Buttimer’s resignation follows that of Mr Calleary.

Earlier: Resigned [Updated]

Rollingnews

Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Fianna Fáil TD Dara Calleary

This morning.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin released the following statement:

“This morning Deputy Dara Calleary tendered his resignation as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, following his attendance at the Oireachtas golf dinner on Wednesday evening.

“His attendance at this event was wrong and an error of judgement on his part. I have accepted his resignation. People all over the country have made very difficult, personal sacrifices in their family lives and in their businesses to comply with Covid regulations.

“This event should not have gone ahead in the manner it did given the Government decision of last Tuesday.

“Dara Calleary, since he was first elected to Dail Eireann has been, and remains, a committed and dedicated public representative. This error of judgement was out of character. He has made the right decision for the country, particularly in the [sic] light of our continued effort to suppress Covid-19.”

Earlier:

 

From top: Fianna Fáil Minister for Agriculture Dara Calleary, EU Commissioner and former Fine Gael minister Phil Hogan, Supreme Court judge Seamus Woulfe; former RTE presenter Seán O’Rourke; some of the alleged seating plans for the 50th anniversary OIreachtas Golf Society event at the Station House Hotel in Clifden, Co Galway on Wednesday night. It has not yet been confirmed whether all the people listed attended

Last night.

Political Correspondents Aoife Grace-Moore and Paul Hosford, of The Irish Examiner, reported that Agriculture Minister Dara Calleary was among more than 80 people, including senators, TDs, and judges who attended the Oireachtas Golf Society’s 50th anniversary dinner at the Station House Hotel, Clifden, Co Galway on Wednesday night.

Within hours the story was picked up by BBC and the New York Times.

This morning, Mr Calleary was scheduled to appear on RTE’s Morning Ireland but it later emerged that his spokesperson told RTE that he was no longer available. It’s since emerged that Mr Calleary is now resigning from Cabinet (see tweet above).

Last night it was also confirmed that EU Commissioner Phil Hogan, Supreme Court judge and former Attorney General Seamus Woulfe, former RTÉ presenter Seán O’Rourke, Fine Gael Senator Jerry Buttimer and Senator John Cummins also attended the event.

Minister Calleary, Senator Buttimer and Senator Cummins have all since apologised, while a spokesperson for Brussells-based Mr Hogan told the Irish Independent that Mr Hogan “complied fully with all quarantine/restricted movement requirements on his return to Ireland”.

A spokesman for the hotel told The Irish Examiner that the 81 people who attended the event were divided by an partition, into two sets of 45 and 36, while the event’s table plan listed 10 people per table.

However, around 24 hours before the anniversary event on Wednesday, and after a three-and-a-half Cabinet meeting, Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced a new suite of Covid-19 restrictions including:

– A maximum of 6 people are seated at a table at restaurants and cafes (including pubs that serve food and hotel restaurants); and that no formal or informal events or parties should be organised in these premises.

– People should continue to work from home where possible.

– All visits to homes should be limited to six people from outside the home, from no more than three households (indoors and outdoors).

– All outdoor gatherings should be limited to 15 people, down from 200.

– Indoor events should be reduced from 50 people to just six people, except for businesses such as shops and restaurants.

– Indoor weddings and some religious services, such as mass, are exempt and can still take place with up to 50 people.

– All sporting events and matches should take place behind closed doors with strict avoidance of social gatherings before and after matches. Training sessions should follow the rule of six people indoors and 15 outdoors.

– Gyms should have no more than six people in an exercise class.

– Public transport should be avoided.

He also said that the Attorney General, Minister for Health and Minister for Justice were considering introducing legislation to give additional powers to “gardai and agencies to enforce public health measures”.

During the press conference Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn told journalists:

“…we must focus on two key numbers: six and 15. Please do not have more than six people over to your house or garden and no more than six people should meet up in any indoor setting. Outside no more than 15 people in total should meet up. And even then people should physically distance from one another.”

In addition, when the Taoiseach was asked when these restrictions would take effect, Mr Martin said they were taking effect immediately.

Meanwhile, last night, Virgin Media One’s Political Correspondent Gavan Reilly tweeted:

“The ‘tightened’ restrictions announced earlier this week don’t yet have any force of law. The Department of Health says no regulations have been signed (yet) to lower the number of people who can attend gatherings.

“But…that means the existing Phase 3 regulations still have the force of law. Those regulations prohibit any “event for cultural, entertainment, recreational, sporting, social, community or educational reasons” which intends to accommodate 50 people indoors, unless it’s in a home.

“But more than that: it specifically makes it a penal offence to organise such an event. A person who organises such an event for over 50 people could face a fine of €2,500 and even, prospectively, six months in prison. Note: This applies only to the organisers, not attendees.

“So: organising an indoor event for 50 people is legally a Big Deal. (Especially so, perhaps, when the organiser is the Oireachtas Golf Society.) But: here’s the rub. The organisers, and hotel, believe they were in compliance with the rules – because they split the party in two.

“The two parallel rooms were placed in a hotel function room with a partition (the standard hotel ballroom variety), which was not drawn fully across. Attendees have told me the partition was left partly open so that hotel staff could go between rooms to serve food, and so on.

“The hotel’s stance is that it wasn’t one function, it was two – with 45 in one room and 36 in the next. But I also understand that, not only was there a single table plan presented to accommodate the 81 attendees, speeches were given in one room, addressed to those in the other.

“So was it one event or two? That’s probably subjective – but if you think it was all one event (which the organisers and venue clearly don’t) it would seem an evident breach of the law which carries not only a possible fine, but also a threat of jail, for its organisers.”

Meanwhile, this morning, on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Ms Moore told Rachael English – who asked if the news wasn’t being well received given so many people had made sacrifices such as missing funerals, weddings, christenings in order to adhere with the Covid-19 restrictions:

“Me and Paul Hosford who wrote the story with me, both of us actually put our weddings off. We were both supposed to get married so yeah we’ve also made those sacrifices. But I think, yeah, when the story went up last night, and it started to gain traction, we started to get emails into  the Irish Examiner, from nurses, from teachers, people who were living in Kildare, people who lived in Laois and Offaly who were just voicing their serious frustrations is the only word for it, you know, and anger.

“And I think the big thing, and for years to come, I think what people will remember most about this time period, for Irish people, is definitely funerals. Funerals are so important here, the whole protocol around death is so important to people.

“And I do think that that’s the thing that’s really going to stay with people. We’ve all seen those like heartbreaking images of people saying goodbye through the windows of nursing homes and stuff like that. So I think…that’s the main thing that people are so upset about. That we’ve all made these sacrifices and, you know, this silly mistake from people who are supposed to know better kind of flies in the face of that.”

RTÉ Morning Ireland

‘I should not have attended the event’: Minister apologises for attendance at golf event in breach of health guidelines (Aoife Grace-Moore and Paul Hosford, Irish Examiner)

EU Commissioner Phil Hogan and RTÉ’s Sean O’Rourke also attended 80-strong golf dinner with minister (Philip Ryan, Hugh O’Connell, Irish Independent)

Pics: Rollingnews  and John Barrington