Opposition piles on pressure over Foreign Affairs ‘champagne party’

Opposition parties have sought to pressure the Government further over the so-called "champagne party" in the Department of Foreign Affairs on the night Ireland was elected to the UN Security Council.

The Dáil yesterday heard a report into the June 2020 gathering, compiled by a senior civil servant and published on Monday, described as a “whitewash” and there were fresh demands for an independent investigation into the incident.

However, Taoiseach Micheál Martin rejected the criticisms and said that Sinn Féin's position on the matter was "hypocritical" as it had been involved in the funeral of Bobby Storey a few weeks after the department drinks, which saw large numbers gather to mark the death of the Belfast republican.

Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty said Mr Martin should have Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney come before the Dáil to answer questions on the incident. People Before Profit-Solidarity's Paul Murphy called the report "a whitewash from start to finish".

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The report, compiled by the now department secretary-general Joe Hackett, found "a breach of social distance guidance occurred" when staff came together to celebrate Ireland's election to the UN body.

It said there was no breaking of statutory rules but “a serious breach of social distancing guidance”. Four senior officials have agreed to make contributions to charities doing Covid-19 related work as a result.

Mr Doherty said the review had not interviewed Mr Coveney, as it was outside the terms of reference, adding that the terms had been drafted by the Minister. He said this was typical of a Minister who was “out of touch, at the helm for too long” and whose judgment was regularly being questioned.

‘Genuinely taken aback’

In response, Mr Martin said he was not in government at the time but the gathering was “wrong, should not have happened and those who were involved have apologised”. He said he was “genuinely taken back” by Mr Doherty’s tone.

“You are the deputy leader of a party that invited almost 2,000 members and supporters onto the streets of Belfast and then for a political rally, essentially, in a cemetery at a time when ordinary men and women that you speak about were limited… to 30 people at a funeral…Ordinary men and women you talk about were distraught because they couldn’t attend the funeral of their loved ones,” he said.

“Everybody with eyes in their head could see what happened and it’s only weeks after the event that you’re raising such a huge issue around.

“To the best of my knowledge you or your organisation has never admitted that you were in the wrong in what you did, but you lecture everybody else.”

An Garda Síochána said it would not be investigating the event due to the statute of limitations as it had taken place more than a year ago.

Under the Health Act 1947, breaches of Covid-19 regulations are summary matters meaning they have a six-month statute of limitations.

Even if a Garda investigation was possible, it is unclear what it would examine, based on Monday’s report. Social distancing guidelines do not have a legislative basis and breaches are not criminal offences.

“An Garda Síochána had/has no role in the enforcement of Public Health Guidelines,” a spokesman said.