FG to punish whip over drink driving comments

THE Fine Gael councillor who publicly admitted to drink driving is to be disciplined by the party this weekend.

Michael Fitzgerald, a member and former chairman of South Tipperary County Council, will have the party whip removed when the Fine Gael executive council meet in the next few days.

But he received support from an unlikely ally yesterday in the shape of Fianna Fáil TD Jim McDaid, who himself was convicted of drink driving last year.

Mr McDaid said the councillor was being “vilified” for expressing his views.

Mr Fitzgerald caused consternation earlier this week when he admitted driving after three or four pints and criticised the current drink-driving crackdown as ruinous to the social fabric of rural Ireland.

Fine Gael said his comments, on local radio station Tipp FM on Monday, had left party leader Enda Kenny “extremely furious”.

“Deputy Kenny made a very prompt decision to take disciplinary action,” a spokeswoman said.

Mr Fitzgerald’s comments were also greeted with dismay by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) which encourages a zero-alcohol policy for drivers and was instrumental in securing the introduction of random breath-testing last July.

Addressing the Oireachtas Enterprise Committee yesterday, RSA chief executive Noel Brett said 30 fewer people had been killed on Irish roads since random breath-testing came into effect compared to the corresponding period in 2005. In the four months to the end of October this year, 110 people died in crashes — a reduction of 21% on the same period last year.

Tánaiste and Justice Minister Michael McDowell also criticised Mr Fitzgerald’s comments.

“It gives a very, very, bad example to young people and to the community at large,” said Mr McDowell.

Mr Fitzgerald, who lost his licence after failing a drink-driving test, complained that road safety crackdowns were targeting the wrong people.

He said they focused on motorists driving for years without incident rather than young motorists who deliberately flouted the speed limits. He was unavailable for comment on his pending disciplinary action last night.

But Mr McDaid, speaking on The Last Word on Today FM, said: “This person has been vilified because he is expressing a view. Political correctness in this country has scaled new heights.”

Mr McDaid was banned from driving for two years and fined €750 after driving the wrong way down the old Naas-Newbridge dual carriageway in April 2005.