Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney is to appear before the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs next Tuesday, to discuss a report into a celebration that took place in Iveagh House in June 2020.
Minister Coveney has accepted an invitation to answer questions from TDs and Senators, along with the Secretary General of his Department, Joe Hackett.
A report on Monday published by the Secretary General at the Department of Foreign Affairs found a "serious breach" of social distancing rules had occurred at the gathering last summer to mark Ireland's election to the UN Security Council, and recommended that senior officials make donations to charity.
The photograph of 20 departmental officials standing in a tight group, without masks, and with some holding champagne, caused offence, inflicted reputational damage on the department and undermined internal morale, according to the internal investigation.
In his report, Foreign Affairs Secretary General Joe Hackett concluded his predecessor, and now Irish Ambassador to France Niall Burgess was "largely responsible".
Earlier this week Mr Coveney said it is clear that a breach of Covid-19 restrictions at his department in the summer of 2020 should not have happened.
However, he said it was important to concentrate on the context.
Mr Coveney told RTÉ that it was a moment of carelessness and celebration and lasted for about a minute.
But, he said that he can totally understand why people looking at the photograph would be annoyed.
He said he did not order an investigation or take action because he trusted his Secretary General to deal with the matter.
Mr Coveney said he is accountable to the Dáil, Oireachtas committees and the media and he is happy to take any questions.
Opposition parties have called for an independent review to be carried out into the event, with Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty saying the internal review published last night had "no accountability".
Mr Doherty said he has written to the Taoiseach to demand an independent examination into what took place, and Mr Coveney's decisions.
