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Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin says Phil Hogan has "undermined the whole approach to public health in Ireland", after the EU trade commissioner was accused of breaking coronavirus lockdown rules.

Mr Hogan has already apologised for attending a controversial golf dinner in the west of Ireland, but the government has said it was clear he also breached self-isolation guidelines on a trip home from Brussels.

Speaking in Dublin today, Mr Martin stopped short of calling for Mr Hogan's resignation, but said there has been a "significant difficulty for the government in terms of the changing narrative as this story has unfolded".

Mr Hogan has denied breaching any of Ireland's coronavirus rules, but has been on the end of harsh criticism from politicians and the public alike during a week in which his version of events changed several times.

He flew into Ireland from Brussels on 31 July, and travelled to his temporary residence at the K Club golf club in Co Kildare. Belgium is not on Ireland's "Green List", and so Mr Hogan was required to restrict his movements for 14 days.

However, on 5 August, he went to Dublin for a hospital appointment and received a COVID-19 test, which was negative.

Mr Hogan has since argued that this meant he no longer had to restrict his movements for the remainder of the 14-day period. This has been disputed by the country's Health Service Executive, and the government, which says he was still required to see out the isolation period.

On 7 August, several Irish counties including Kildare were placed on local lockdown. Mr Hogan left hours before this came into effect and travelled to Kilkenny.

On 17 August, he travelled back to the K Club, ostensibly to pick up important documents - a reason that would exempt him from Kildare's lockdown - before continuing on to the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) Golf Society event in Clifden, Co Galway.

While driving in Co Kildare, he was stopped by Gardai (Irish police) and received a caution for using his mobile phone.

More than 80 people attended the dinner in Clifden on the 19 August - a day after the Irish government announced indoor gatherings should be restricted to six people or fewer.

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The resultant public outcry to what has become known as "Golfgate", led to the resignation of Ireland's minister for agriculture Dara Calleary, the deputy chairman of the Senate Jerry Buttimer, and apologies from many others, including Mr Hogan.

Mr Hogan has refused to contemplate resigning his position, and submitted a report of his movements to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, who says she has "taken note" of statements by the Irish authorities claiming that he broke lockdown rules.

Speaking today in Brussels, her spokeswoman Dana Spinant said the president was assessing the matter.

"It is a detailed report, it's a report which is public to ensure full transparency about the moves by the commissioner during that period in Ireland," Ms Spinant told reporters .

"The president is in contact with Commissioner Hogan about it.

"On the other hand we have taken note of the statement from Irish authorities... but this is the only thing that we can say at this stage, so once more the president continues considering the matter, she's examining and assessing carefully on the basis of that report."

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Sources in Dublin say there is "zero chance" of Mr Hogan resigning from his role, and that Ms von der Leyen will have to "back him or sack him" when she finishes assessing the situation.

Mr Hogan is regarded as a hard-headed and sometimes brash political operator. Known as "Big Phil" as much for his personality as his statuesque frame, he will be a key figure in the UK's trade negotiations with the EU post-Brexit.

Having an Irishman in that position was regarded until this week as a fortuitous stroke of luck by an Irish government that would now privately prefer if he quietly exited the European stage.