Two MEPs say the Government's credibility has been so badly damaged by the refusal of Phil Hogan to stand aside that a general election is needed.
The European Trade Commissioner is sending 'additional information' to Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen after she asked for further clarity on his part in the GolfGate scandal.
Dublin MEP Clare Daly claims the row is a "handy diversion" for the Government, and that a general election should be called immediately, a call backed by her by Independents 4 Change colleague Mick Wallace.
Dangerous
Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall says a general election now would be "dangerous".
"In normal times I think we would be having an election at this point, I don't think that is in the interests of the country now, we simply cannot afford to have a situation where there is a three or four week election campaign and there's effectively nobody in charge. I would call on the parties in Government to stop this infighting, to work together."
On Monday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin called for Mr Hogan to give a "very comprehensive statement" about his attendance at the golf event and his movements in Co Kildare, but stopped short of calling for his resignation.
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne, the Taoiseach said he had asked Mr Hogan to consider his position over the weekend.
The public need to know that restrictions in Kildare were not breached.
Of even more concern to him, he said, was if the Commissioner had breached Covid restrictions in Kildare.
“The public need to know that restrictions in Kildare were not breached,” he said.
Mr Martin said he had received a call from the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to inform him that Mr Hogan had been stopped by gardaí for using a mobile phone while he was driving in Kildare.
This was of concern to him and the Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, he said, as this information was not in accordance with what Mr Hogan had initially said about being in Kildare.
Mr Martin said that given there was a discrepancy between Mr Hogan's statements and he needed to know that the restrictions in Kildare were not breached. He and the Tánaiste had asked the Garda Commissioner for full details on the incident.
