Locals in Phil Hogan's constituency of Kilkenny, and neighbouring Kildare, seem divided on whether he should stay or go over the 'Golf Gate' controversy.

A spokesperson for Mr Hogan also confirmed that he was stopped by Gardaí for using his mobile phone while driving in Kildare last week.

And the European Commission has asked Mr Hogan to further explain his actions around the controversial Galway golf dinner.

Henry McKean visited Kilkenny and Kildare for The Hard Shoulder, where people were happy to give their opinion.

One man told Henry: "Why would you cut off your nose to spite your face?

"This country's going in to chaos, he's the one that can lead us out of it.

"Why would you get rid of him and hand it over to someone else?

"You think the British are going to look after us?"

"The Irish farmers are depending on him, and why would you give it away?

"What did he do at the end of the day - ate a dinner."

"Him resigning is going to do more harm than good to the Irish people.

"Who's going to suffer then? With him going, who's going to suffer most - the Irish people.

"Keep him in Brussels, yeah, look after the farmers that's what he's there for".

"Brexit is the most important thing: we're all struggling now, jobs are going.

"And what if this comes down on top of it?"

Another man said: "Everyone in the country has taken a hit, we've all made sacrifices.

"And it just seems to be, politicians at the moment, cross-party, every party in the country they seem to just be on a different level.

"They can do what they want, when they want."

Another added: "I wouldn't want to be in his position, and I wouldn't want to be in the EU Commissioner's position either.

"Because if he wasn't in the job he was in, if it was a lesser position, I think he definitely should consider his role and perhaps go.

"That fact that he's digging his heels in and not going says a bit more about him, rather than the situation".

Another said: "Phil does a lot for around here, you know, Kilkenny.

"But I wouldn't support him in going to it. If anyone's to blame it's the organisers.

"He's done a lot for Kilkenny and the local area, but people would be on both sides of this debate: I'd be on Phil's side anyway".

"He's good at what he does, but he's not indispensable", another man suggested.

Meanwhile in Athy, Co Kildare this man told Henry he did not think Mr Hogan would survive this.

He added: "He has no business ever in the future if he has to resort back to a general election campaigning on anybody's doorstep to become a TD".

This woman said: "He should be just sacked on the spot.

"Why should they be all allowed to resign and come out of the place with a pension, and what they're doing to people.

"It is absolutely atrocious what they're all getting away with".

"There's one rule for them and one rule for us, that's what they're doing to the country.

"I personally think that they're really running this into the ground, they're just laughing at people."

"They all just seem to be for themselves, nobody else".

On his role as EU trade commissioner in the context of Brexit, she said: "Is he the only person that actually can do that job?

"So we're supposed to take this s**t because he is the only person that can do that job?

"The people in Ireland are not stupid, there has to be somebody else that can do his job.

"And we're not stupid either - everyone's getting fed up of it".

Another woman said: "I think it's a sham and I think it's a disgrace - and I think they should be ashamed to call themselves Irish men."

"We're stuck in houses 24/7, I haven't been out in nearly three weeks... and they can go down to Galway - eat, drink and be merry - and they're supposed to run this country?

"1916 - the people that died in it for this country - would turn in their graves.

"If you were in a job and you done something wrong, you would be sacked.

"You wouldn't get a pension, you wouldn't get nothing".

    

Main image: Picture by: Henry McKean