A chaotic couple of days for the Government has heaped further scrutiny upon Micheál Martin, Leo Varadkar and Eamon Ryan after the rules surrounding what the public can and can't do appeared changed rapidly.
The Attorney General on Wednesday evening clarified the rules regarding the numbers permitted at organised outdoor events and gatherings.
He was required to get involved after pressure mounted on Katherine Zappone and the Government over her appointment as a special envoy, a role she subsequently turned down.
The Government faced further scrutinya fter details emerged that Ms Zappone held a 50-person event at the Merrion Hotel six days before her appointment which was attended by Tanaiste Leo Varadkar.
Ms Zappone said the hotel had assured her the event was in line with Covid-19 guidelines and the hotel has also insisted it adhered to all rules in place.
But representatives of both the hospitality industry and Catholic Church have questioned why the updated guidelines were not communicated to them, particularly for the likes of communions and confirmations.
Officially, here are the rules as set by the Government for organised outdoor gatherings:
"A maximum of 200 attendees can attend the majority of venues.
"A limit of 500 people is in place for venues with capacity greater than 5,000 with appropriate protective measures in place - including social distancing requirements."
Mr Varadkar confirmed he attended the Zappone event on July 21 - six days before the former Minister was appointed by the Government as Special Envoy for freedom of expression.
He said: “I was present for about 45 minutes, spoke to Dr Zappone briefly and listened to her speech before returning to work.
“The event took place entirely outdoors.
“I always strive to adhere to Covid restrictions and as a public representative I try to be extra careful in that regard.”
