‘Call another election’: Cork Green Party councillor says clean slate needed

THE coalition has two choices — to form a national government or have another election.

That is according to Green Party councillor Lorna Bogue, as the Government struggles to contain the damage caused by last week’s Oireachtas Golf Society dinner.

“At this stage, I think an election is preferable, to have a clean slate and get things back up and running again,” she said. “When we had the caretaker government and Nphet running things, that is when we saw the Covid-19 virus being controlled.

“Either the Government cops on and there is a national government, or they go back to the people for a vote, even though that will mean the destruction of my own party.

“This Government is just limping along and people are very confused, scared, and angry.”

Fine Gael’s Senator Tim Lombard called on EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan to resign. Mr Hogan travelled from Kilkenny to his apartment in locked-down Kildare to collect items, before travelling to Clifden for the event. Last night, it emerged he was stopped by gardaí for using his mobile phone while driving in Kildare.

“The honourable thing for Phil Hogan to do is to resign,” Mr Lombard said. “The Irish people have a view that there has to be accountability for what happened.”

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has requested Mr Hogan to provide a full report with details of the event.