Kilkenny’s Phil Hogan ‘renominated’ for €300k EU Commissioner role

By COLIN BARTLEY

FORMER Kilkenny TD Phil Hogan has been nominated for a second term as Ireland’s European Commissioner.

Commissioner Hogan was put forward for the €300,000 Commissioner role by the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, at a Cabinet meeting in Dublin today.

The Taoiseach praised the work of Commissioner Hogan in his initial term in Europe, saying he earned the trust of the other European member states.

Mr Varadkar said: “Phil is widely respected in Brussels and across the EU as a skilled negotiator and someone who builds alliances.

“His re-nomination is an endorsement of his work to date, and an indication of the importance we place on our engagements with EU institutions. We need our best people in Europe.

“The Government will now work closely with our colleagues in the EU to support him in securing the best possible portfolio in the new Commission.”

Phil Hogan has been the Agriculture Commissioner for the past five years and is now tipped for a heavyweight post in the new commission, possibly trade or energy.

The nomination comes at a very important moment in Commissioner Hogan’s political career.

Last week he found himself in the line of fire from party colleagues in Fine Gael, due to his hard-line stance defending a controversial new EU trade deal he negotiated.

The EU-Mercosur deal agreed with four South American countries, is strongly opposed by Irish politicians and farmers alike who say it’s a terrible deal for the Irish beef sector, leading to some calling on the Taoiseach to replace him in the Europe Commission.