Dara Calleary: Taoiseach was angry and disappointed with me

Fianna Fáil TD Dara Calleary said the Taoiseach was angry and disappointed with him after the Minister attended a golf event that was in apparent contravention of Covid-19 guidelines.

Mr Calleary, who was appointed Minister for Agriculture in July, was one of more than 80 people who attended a function at Clifden Station House Hotel on Wednesday evening. The event was organised by the Oireachtas Golf Society.

Mr Calleary said he had “reflected” on his position in Government overnight, and felt an apology was “not sufficient”, leading him to resign from his role as Minister on Friday morning.

Speaking to Mid West Radio, Mr Calleary was asked if the Taoiseach was angry or disappointed with him. The former minister said: “he’s both,” adding “I’ve let him [Micheál Martin] down, I’ve let my colleagues in Government down, so he’s entitled to be angry. He’s entitled to be disappointed. They’re all entitled to that anger and disappointment.”

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Asked whether the Department of Agriculture was a poisoned chalice, Mr Calleary told Mid West Radio: “Even though it was only four or five weeks, it was the most incredible department to work in.”

In his letter of resignation to the Taoiseach, which was issued to Mid West Radio, Mr Calleary said the “overriding objective of this government is to protect our people against Covid-19”.

“It’s destructive path has left grief and illness across our island. There has been a major national effort to do this since March and people are making huge sacrifices and suffering economic loss to do this,” Mr Calleary wrote.

“My attendance at Wednesdays evenings event has undermined that effort. I certainly never intended this to be the case.”

Mr Calleary reiterated his apology to “the people of our island”.

“Their work and their commitment in this great effort has been immense. I apologise in particular to health care workers and their families and to public health officials who’s jobs I have inadvertently made more difficult,” he said.

“And again I apologise to you and all colleagues in government.”

He said that while he means the apology “most sincerely, it is not sufficient” and tendered his resignation as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

“It has been a privilege to serve in this Department – if even for a short few weeks. It is an outstanding organisation with incredibly dedicated public servants serving our agriculture, food and marine communities both here and abroad,” he said.

“Thank you for giving me that privilege and I once again extend my apologies and regret.”

In a statement on Friday morning the Taoiseach said Mr Calleary’s attendance at the event was “wrong and an error of judgement on his part”.

“People all over the country have made very difficult personal sacrifices in their family lives and in their business to comply with Covid regulations. This event should not have gone ahead in the manner it did given the Government decision of last Tuesday.”

Mr Martin said in resigning, Mr Calleary “has made the right decision for the country”.