Paul Murphy Challenges COVID Fines and Champagne Party Response
Paul Murphy criticised what he called double standards in COVID enforcement, citing more than 20,000 fines, a reporting hotline and a Champagne party in the Department of Foreign Affairs in June 2020. He asked whether the Gardaí should investigate, questioned an in-house probe, and said the minister should come before the Dáil to answer questions.
Fines and enforcement figures
Paul Murphy highlighted enforcement during the first year of lockdown - over 20,000 fines were issued and a special hotline was set up for reporting illegal gatherings. He cited that 3,000 people were fined for attending social gatherings and a further 700 were fined for organising those events.
Allegations over the Champagne party and public treatment
He contrasted the fines with incidents such as young people being sanctioned on South William Street for socialising, and the Champagne party in the Department of Foreign Affairs in June 2020. The minister is recorded as having visited the office at 11.10pm after the Champagne had been opened, and claims were made that staff returned to work late into the night.
Calls for investigation and parliamentary accountability
Paul Murphy asked whether the Gardaí should investigate the Department of Foreign Affairs event or whether COVID fines apply only to "the little people." He questioned confidence in an in-house investigation led by a hand-selected civil servant and urged that the minister should appear before the Dáil to answer questions.
Government response and context offered by the Taoiseach
The Taoiseach responded that Gardaí initiate their own investigations and politicians should not direct operational policing activity. He acknowledged the gathering breached guidelines, said those involved apologised and admitted wrongdoing, described the event as an impromptu gathering linked to anticipation of a second Security Council count after Ireland won the first count, and said the minister is prepared to appear before the Oireachtas Committee to explain the night.
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Taoiseach, During the first year of lockdown, over 20,000 fines were handed out for the breaking of COVID regulations. A special hotline was set up for people to report illegal gatherings. 3,000 people were fined for attending social gatherings that broke the law. Another 700 were fined for organising those events. Last summer, a group of young people, in socialising on South William Street, were battened simply for the crime of enjoying an outdoor summer. Instead of a visit by the Guards, the Champagne Party in the Department of Foreign Affairs in June 2020 got a visit from Minister Coveney. He admits to visiting the office at 11.10pm after the Champagne had been popped. He seems to be claiming that after opening the Champagne, after taking the picture, they all went back to work late into the night. Taoiseach, do you seriously expect people to believe that story? Do you think the Gardaí should investigate this party or are the COVID fines only for the little people? Do you have confidence in an in-house investigation by a hand-selected civil servant or do you instead agree that the Minister should come before the Dáil to answer questions on this? In terms of Deputy Murphy's point, again, the Gardaí initiate their own investigations. Politicians do not tell them to, nor should they. And government certainly shouldn't be in terms of how the law works. We don't engage in the operational activities of the Gardaí. And increasingly we hear clarion calls for the guards should do this and they should arrest this person and that person. That's not the remit of, in my view, the political world, nor should it be. Sorry, I don't believe a politician should be. I know people can report, I know that. But then it's a matter for the Gardaí to decide. Yeah, but 18 months on now people are telling the Gardaí what they should do. You know, so I just think that's an issue. But I would say in terms of the issue that's been raised by Deputy Murphy, you know, the Minister, again, I've already said the people involved have said what they did was wrong. And it was wrong. It shouldn't have happened. And it was clearly in breach of guidelines. No question about that. But the people themselves have put their hands up and have apologised in the context of what was an impromptu gathering, it seems to me. There was an anticipation there would be a second vote, is my understanding, in the Security Council. They won in the first count. Ireland won in the first count. The previous government had been campaigning for the Security Council, and apparently in the first count Ireland got elected. The anticipation was that there would be a lot of work required for the second count, in terms of working the phones to make sure that we'd secure our place in the second. That's my understanding of it. Again, the Minister is prepared to go before the Oireachtas Committee and explain what happened on the night. Thank you, Mr.��
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