‘McDaid must face full rigour of law’

ANTI-DRINK driving campaigners last night demanded that former minister Dr Jim McDaid be subjected to the full rigour of the law after he was arrested for driving the wrong way down on a Kildare dual carriageway.

Dr McDaid, who was Minister of Tourism and Junior Transport Minister in successive Fianna Fáil-led governments, was arrested between 10.15pm and 10.30pm on Tuesday as he returned from Punchestown.

Garda sources confirmed that Dr McDaid, who as Junior Transport Minister in 2002 launched a major anti-drink driving safety campaign, had driven down an exit ramp of the N7 and carried on against the flow of traffic for up to two minutes before being spotted by an off-duty garda. Gardaí from Naas subsequently arrested the Donegal TD under Section 49 of the Road Traffic Act and took a blood sample at Naas Garda station. The sample has been sent for testing at the Medical Bureau of Road Safety.

In a brief statement issued by the Fianna Fáil press office yesterday, Dr McDaid apologised for a “serious lapse in behaviour”. “It was completely wrong of me to drive a car while under the influence of drink. This will now be a matter for the gardaí to deal with.

“I know that as a public representative I have a particular obligation to uphold the law. I wish to apologise to my family, my constituents and to the gardaí.”

Spokespersons for the Government and Fianna Fáil last night declined to comment further saying only that the matter was one for the authorities.

However, Gertie Shields of Mothers Against Drink Driving (MADD) called for the full weight of the law to be brought to bear on Dr McDaid.

“As far as we are concerned it doesn’t matter who is behind the wheel, whether a minister or any other person, there should be no out for them.

“For anybody in a position like him to be behind the wheel with too much drink taken is a disgrace and is the wrong example to send the ordinary man on the street.”

Penalties upon conviction for drink driving include a €1,200 fine and/or six months in prison.

Although a return to ministerial ranks was considered unlikely, Dr McDaid’s actions this week have almost certainly left any hopes of political advancement in ruins.

Meanwhile, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern yesterday called on drivers to be more responsible over the May bank holiday weekend.

Gardaí are preparing for another road safety blitz over the weekend. In a similar operation between midnight on Good Friday and midnight on Easter Monday, 255 motorists were arrested for drink-driving. This year 118 people have died on Irish roads.