Healy-Rae reported for writing notes while driving

A television clip showing a Dáil deputy writing notes while driving has been passed on to the gardaí, the Road Safety Authority has confirmed.

A number of people contacted the RSA after seeing Michael Healy-Rae answering a call on his hands-free phone and writing on a notebook resting on the steering wheel.

The Kerry Independent TD was then heard to say to an interviewer that people are “not supposed to write and drive’’ and that there was some law against it.

He was filmed in an RTÉ documentary, Looking After No 1, based on the constituency work of a number of TDs, which was screened on Oct 21.

An RSA spokesman said yesterday it had been contacted prior to the programme by a national newspaper drawing its attention to a still which showed a driver wearing ear-phones and writing while driving.

The spokeswoman said it was not clear from the still who the driver was.

They passed the still onto the Garda National Traffic Bureau. “We suggested to those who contacted us to complain after the show aired to do likewise as only the gardaí can follow up and investigate such incidents, the RSA has no powers to do so,” she said.

The spokeswoman also said people in positions of authority had an added responsibility to lead by example and do the right thing when using the roads.

Mr Healy-Rae declined to comment yesterday.

However, he did make some comments last week, before he had seen the programme.

“I’m not perfect. These things happen. I never said in my life I was perfect,” was his reply in response to complaints made to Radio Kerry about his driving behaviour.

“Every day, a person sets out to do the right thing and all a person is trying to do every day is their best… A person who never made a mistake never did anything.”