The search to fill the vacancy at the European Commission left by Phil Hogan’s resignation will begin as soon as possible, with sources suggesting the process could take a number of weeks and with no guarantee that Ireland will retain the trade portfolio.

The search to fill the vacancy at the European Commission left by Phil Hogan’s resignation will begin as soon as possible, with sources suggesting the process could take a number of weeks
There is no guarantee that Ireland will retain the trade portfolio.
Mr Hogan’s resignation was the spectacular culmination of a fractious week in Irish politics. It is also a major setback for the European Commission, at a time when trade is high on the agenda.
It is understood he offered his resignation yesterday afternoon during one of several conversations with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
She is said to have listened carefully to his reasons before accepting his resignation.
It is understood the fallout from the discrepancies over Mr Hogan’s negative Covid-19 test and how that related to his obligations to restrict his movements, played a significant part in his decision to resign.
The moment he resigned, his mandate as trade commissioner ended, and his portfolio will now be taken over by another commissioner. 
The Irish Government will have to begin selecting a candidate or candidates.
President von der Leyen in the past has sought one male and one female nomination.
Having selected the candidate, Ms von der Leyen will allocate a portfolio she believes is suitable. There is no guarantee it will be trade. The candidate will then face a hearing in the European Parliament.
 Mr Hogan’s resignation avoids a constitutional conflict between Dublin and Brussels, but its impact will reverberate for months if not years. 
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The Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Green Party Leader described Mr Hogan’s resignation as the correct course of action.
However, the Labour Party has said his resignation came five days too late and damaged efforts to tackle Covid-19. 
Labour leader Alan Kelly urged the Government  to move quickly to fill the vacancy at the European Commission.
The early speculation for that post centres on Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney and former EU ambassador to the US David O’Sullivan.
Some senior political figures speculated last night that the possibly of either Leo Varadkar or former Taoiseach Enda Kenny becoming commissioner cannot be ruled out entirely at this stage. 
Sinn Féin also said the Oireachtas golfing society event had undermined people’s confidence in the Government’s efforts in tacking Covid-19 and the time had come to get back work and deal with this situation.
Additional reporting Micheál Lehane