Cork senator re-admitted to Fine Gael after losing party whip over Golfgate dinner

Senator Jerry Buttimer has been re-admitted to Fine Gael almost five months after losing the party whip for attending an Oireachtas Golf Society dinner 

Mr Buttimer was one of three Fine Gael senators at last summer's Oireachtas Golf Society dinner, which was found to have breached Covid-19 restrictions.

The three Fine Gael senators have now had their membership reinstated. The politician declined to comment on the issue when contacted by The Echo.

"I have nothing to say only that the Tanáiste made a decision and that was the decision of the party," he said. 

"There really is nothing more to say..." he added.

At the first PP meeting of 2021 and ahead of the new Oireachtas term, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar proposed a motion that Senators Jerry Buttimer, Paddy Burke and John Cummins would be readmitted into the Parliamentary Party without prejudice.

In a statement Tánaiste Varadkar said:

“They all acknowledged that what happened at the Oireachtas Golf event should not have happened, apologised and took responsibility immediately. They have been out of the Parliamentary Party for five months and it’s time for them to get back to working with us across the whole range of Oireachtas work, including relating to battling against Covid,” the Tánaiste said. The motion was agreed upon unanimously.