Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said the Oireachtas golfing event in Clifden should not have gone ahead and said the Government "has descended into new levels of chaos".

Speaking to RTÉ's Six One News, Ms McDonald said the event is the final straw ans she called on the Government parties to recall the Dáil and begin the process of rebuilding public confidence.

Ms McDonald said people have questions to answer and added that she did not know the Oireachtas golfing society even existed.

She said she did not think a club like this was appropriate, adding "that this isn't a country club. This is a parliament".

She said she does not think there is an equivalence between attending the funeral of Bobby Storey and the "golfing shindig".

Other opposition parties have also called for the Dáil to be reconvened immediately to deal with the crisis and to restore public confidence.

There have been calls too for other senior public figures who attended the event in Clifden this week to consider their positions in the wake of the controversy.

Labour Party leader Alan Kelly said the Government has lost public confidence. 

Mr Kelly said he has rarely seen such public anger in response to a political issue as to the events in Clifden. 

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He said that it undermines public confidence in the collective efforts to successfully tackle Covid-19. 

Mr Kelly said people are "infuriated and disgusted" and he said that they see the behaviour displayed by those who attended as elitist, privileged and arrogant. 

He called for the Dáil to be recalled immediately to deal with the fallout from the gathering in Clifden along with the confusion surrounding protocols introduced by the Government earlier this week.

Mr Kelly said that EU Commissioners Phil Hogan's response is "not good enough" and the Taoiseach needs to come out and say if he has full confidence in him.

The Co-Leader of the Social Democrats said there is huge anger and demoralisation. 

Catherine Murphy also said the Dáil needs to be reconvened as early as next week.

She said that this is a pandemic and there is a threat to public health. 

Ms Murphy said there has been a serious loss of public confidence and goodwill.

She said that the coronavirus will not be defeated without public goodwill. 

She described the event that took place in Clifden as "inexcusable". 

Ms Murphy said there is confusion as to the messages that the Government was giving out and said that there needs to be a coherent message. 

Solidarity People Before Profit's Brid Smith described what had happened as outrageous. 

She said that she thought it was clear that when they make these rules they see them as applying to ordinary people and not to the elite. 

Ceann Comhairle calls for golf society to be 'wound up'

Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl has contacted the secretary of the Oireachtas Golf Society and asked for it to be "wound up as a matter of urgency".

Mr Ó Fearghaíl said: "While recognising that the Golf Society operates independently of the Oireachtas I write to suggest that, in the aftermath of this week's events in Clifden, the society as it is currently structured and named be wound up as a matter of urgency.

He added: "This I believe is a necessary action for the society in the aftermath of this week's events. 

"The event has seriously undermined and damaged public confidence in the Oireachtas and in what I hope is our mutual commitment to public health and to the people we serve."