The Taoiseach has rejected claims from within his own party that he damaged Ireland’s national interest by pushing for Phil Hogan’s resignation.

Micheál Martin has confirmed that he will put forward two candidates to replace Mr Hogan as Ireland’s EU Commissioner by the end of the week.

It is not clear who will get the nod; however, the EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has made it clear that she wants two names to choose from – both a woman and a man.

Mr Hogan resigned his position more than a week ago and Ireland is now widely expected to lose the key Trade portfolio regardless of who the Government nominates.

“Gross hyperbole”

On The Pat Kenny Show this morning, Fianna Fáil backbencher Jim O’Callaghan said Mr Martin and the Tánaiste Leo Varadkar had damaged the national interest by urging Mr Hogan to consider his position.

Speaking this afternoon, Mr Martin accused his party colleague of spreading “gross hyperbole.”

“First of all, it hasn’t damaged our national standing at all,” he said. “That is gross hyperbole, I just have to say that straight up. That is just not the case; I know it is not the case.

“In terms of the allocation of the portfolio, that is a matter for the president of the Commission. I have had good discussions with the president of the Commission and I am not going to pre-empt the decision of the president of the Commission.”

Short-sighted

Speaking to Pat this morning, Deputy O’Callaghan said the Taoiseach’s handling of the Phil Hogan controversy was short-sighted.

“In politics, you need to be able to see 24 hours, 48 hours down the road,” he said.

“I think when we called upon him to consider his position, the necessary consequence of that was that we were telling the Commission we didn't have confidence in him.

"I don't know Phil Hogan; I don't speak for him but I do think it was not in the country's national interest to lose the trade portfolio in the EU.”

Phil Hogan

Deputy O’Callaghan said the trade portfolio was a “huge job” with Brexit on the horizon and noted that other EU countries have different outlooks on international commerce.

“They have a protectionist attitude,” he said. “We want an open trade environment – that's what Phil Hogan and an Irish person was bringing to the portfolio.

“I think by losing it, we've damaged the country's national interest.”

Fine Gael MEPs Mairead McGuinness and Frances Fitzgerald appear to leading the race for a nomination after reports indicated the Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney was no longer interested in the role.

The leaders of the three Government parties are still in talks about who to put forward and a decision may not be made until the end of the week.