Resignation of Phil Hogan

Sir, – I would like to remind all politicians and commentators on this matter that when we set the bar for someone else, we also set it for ourselves. – Yours, etc,

TONY DAVIS,

Kilmacud,

Co Dublin.

Public health and the price of alcohol

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GPs and discretionary charges

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Myanmar and persecution of Rohingya

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EU, Brexit and peace process

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Sir, – A more imaginative and pragmatic approach would have allowed Phil Hogan to tender his resignation as trade commissioner but for it to take effect as soon as the Brexit negotiations had concluded. Such a procedure would have vindicated the attitude of the Irish Government, helped the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and protected Ireland’s vital national interests in the final days of those negotiations. – Yours, etc,

LINDSAY ARMSTRONG,

Ranelagh,

Dublin 6.

Sir, – It was a common refrain from Brexiteers that Britain leaving the EU would enable its parliament to “take back control” from unelected and unaccountable EU officials. Phil Hogan’s position became untenable once he lost the support of all three party leaders in the governing Coalition here. The president of the European Commission didn’t need to sack him. He walked.

Another myth of the so-called benefits of Brexit exposed. – Yours, etc,

KENNETH HARPER,

Burtonport,

Co Donegal.

Sir, – The sadness about Phil Hogan’s situation is that even in his resignation interview he still said, “I broke no law”, thereby destroying any validity of the many apologies he had offered.

You don’t have to break a law to be wrong. You can be wrong ethically, morally, and in this case during this dreadful, invisible virus, be wrong at a very human level.

This whole sorry episode was about selfishness and a presumed sense of entitlement. – Yours, etc,

LOUISE O’DONOVAN,

Dún Laoghaire,

Co Dublin.

A chara, – We had a commissioner. We lost a commissioner. Now we have to find a commissioner.

We still have coronavirus. – Is mise,

DERMOT O’ROURKE,

Lucan,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – Yes indeed, a week is a long time in politics. – Yours, etc,

FRANK PATTERSON,

Oppem,

Belgium.

A chara, – Let he who is without sin cast the first golf ball. – Is mise,

ANTÓIN Ó BROIN,

Tamhlacht,

Baile Átha Cliath.

Sir, – The honourable if unfortunate resignation of Phil Hogan compares starkly to the hypocritical bleating of Sinn Féin.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald go top of the class for brazen double standards, having attended the packed funeral of IRA member Bobby Storey, thereby severely damaging the integrity and the credibility of the Northern Ireland Executive, while at the same time wheeling out Pearse Doherty to demand the resignation of Mr Hogan.

This vile duplicity is sickening. – Yours, etc,

NEVILLE SCARGILL,

Bray,

Co Wicklow.

Sir, – A mean green tide of righteousness outrage and judgment has darkened our landscape. Humanity and forgiveness have been lost. We have lost also our strong anchor in Europe. Who would want to lead in this raucous blaming society? Today I’m not proud of being Irish. – Yours, etc,

ANNE TYNAN,

Dún Laoghaire,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – In a rare display of unity, the Government and Opposition get what they wanted: Phil Hogan’s head. To what end, though? Phil Hogan continuing as commissioner was an irrelevance. Can anyone seriously doubt Ireland faces a hard Brexit? Four months wasted dithering about forming a Government which still cannot find its feet, Land of Hope and Glory topping the UK charts, and one would be hard-pressed to find any farmer say Phil Hogan ever put anything into their pockets.

And yet Brexit is another day closer, the pandemic continues, the schools are reopening, the flu season returns shortly, the deficit of billions deepens, and 160 of the best and the brightest Ireland has to offer believe Phil Hogan’s head was the nation’s overriding concern this past week. – Yours, etc,

BRIAN FALTER,

Ballyshannon,

Co Donegal.

Sir, – Ireland is down an excellent and influential commissioner because of a witch-hunt over something blown totally out of proportion. Phil Hogan was an excellent commissioner and he was hounded out of office by the political class and the media.

Those people attending that event in Galway made a mistake; but their careers should not end for one mistake. It’s not as if they were irresponsible people, in the round. They were all responsible people who made one mistake.

But losing our commissioner is unforgivable and a clear indication that Ireland has lost none of its village mentality. A self-made debacle of monumental proportion. – Yours, etc,

KEVIN NOLAN,

Rathfarnham,

Dublin 16,

Sir, – By some standards the US Open is the most expensive golf tournament in the world. Is it about to be overtaken by the Oireachtas Golf Society competition? – Yours, etc,

GERARD CLARKE,

Dublin 16.

Sir, – If we as a nation are to successfully battle our way through the pandemic we need to be in the fight all together. Arrogance and complacency in high places are the antithesis of – and poisonous to – the social solidarity that’s needed for continued progress.

Your editorial is right. “The cause” of the anger felt towards the former European commissioner by the Irish public “is behaviour whose offensiveness Hogan never seemed to grasp” (“Irish Times view on Phil Hogan’s exit: master of his own downfall”, August 27th). – Yours, etc,

JOE McCARTHY,

Arbour Hill,

Dublin 7.

Sir, – Congratulations, Ireland! You have shot yourself in the foot. Your diplomats in Brussels must be proud of you. – Yours, etc,

RONNY SWAIN,

Bishopstown,

Cork.

Sir, – Your letter writers talking about “forgiveness”, “balance” and “moving on” (August 26th & 27th) should think about what they are getting in return for their generosity.

When did the most important element of a “no blame culture” become the “no blame” part?

This approach is supposed to foster increased transparency, lessons learned and continuous improvement.

This isn’t the first-time revelations about a golf game and dinner have appeared when the country is facing a major crisis. Remember that time a taoiseach spent a day playing golf and dining with directors of Anglo-Irish Bank and the Central Bank shortly before the bank guarantee was put in place?

That too was just a social occasion, no real harm was done, and it was only regrettable because of the optics, according to Brian Cowen at the time.

That some people took responsibility for their mistakes in Clifden within a day of it becoming public only goes to show how poor the judgment of others still is.

Maybe if all our public representatives would start to show some of the continuous improvement promised by the no blame culture, we could all be more forgiving of mistakes in return.

In the meantime, anger and punishment seems to be the only option we have. – Yours, etc,

JAMES MARSTON,

Finglas,

Dublin 11.

A chara, – Pat Leahy writes that, "politicians say they have seldom – if ever – seen such immediate and palpable public anger before"("Phil Hogan's downfall proves the old rules no longer apply", Opinion & Analysis, August 27th).

I wonder! A certain minister was moved to Brussels soon after all hell broke loose when he bluntly applied domestic water charges and threatened to reduce supplies for defaulters to a trickle.

Not only was the anger immediate and palpable, but I would dare to suggest that the Irish democratic system has yet to recover from the fallout.

Relocating the bull to a Brussels china shop may have suited our needs at the time, but let’s hope that the European Commission is not so seriously damaged. – Yours, etc,

JIM HOLOHAN,

Stranorlar,

Co Donegal.