Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne, who was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving last month, has said: “I’ll face the consequences of whatever happens.”
Gardaí have been investigating in the aftermath of his arrest at about 5am on Thursday May 28th.
The Wicklow-Wexford TD was stopped at a mandatory Garda checkpoint in Dublin city centre while travelling to the airport.
He failed the breathalyser test and was subsequently brought to Pearse Street Garda station, where he provided a urine sample.
During an interview on South East Radio on Monday, Byrne said he was “constrained a little bit” in what he could say because of the ongoing Garda investigation.
He told the Morning Mix with Alan Corcoran show: “I was stopped at a Garda checkpoint.
“At the Garda checkpoint, I was asked to do breathalyser tests and then from that breathalyser test I was then taken to nearby Pearse Street Garda station, where I was asked to provide a urine sample.
“There’s very little more that obviously I can say on that, because that investigation is ongoing.”
He said he issued a statement that outlined the factual position and added: “I have to wait and see how things develop in that regard.”
Asked about his stance on drink-driving, Byrne replied: “Drink-driving is wrong, full stop. That’s the position. It’s an offence, and it is wrong.
“I can’t say any more, obviously, about my own case pending what happens.”
Byrne also said he has had a “difficult week”, while adding he is “blessed with amazing family and friends”.
“I’ve got to wait and see what happens as a result of the case, but in the meantime, you know, I have work that I have to do.
“I’m incredibly proud to be able to represent the people of north Wexford and south Wicklow, and I’ll face the consequences of whatever happens.”
Last week Byrne stepped down as chairman of the Oireachtas committee on artificial intelligence.
He said at the time he was “stepping down totally without prejudice to the ongoing legal process arising from my arrest on suspicion of drink-driving”.
On Monday he said he took that decision as he was due to speak at an event where the National Youth Council was launching a report on AI.
He said he “was conscious there was going to be journalists at it. I kind of felt it wouldn’t be fair to the young people involved – and many of whom I knew would be involved in the development of this report, because the focus would have been on me rather than on the work that was actually in the report.”
During the radio interview Byrne was asked if he would have to consider stepping down from other roles should the investigation find he was over the legal limit.
He replied: “I obviously can’t comment on anything that’s to do with a potential legal case.”
Later in the interview he said: “I’ll face up to whatever happens. I’ll take one day at a time.
“I’ve given my life to kind of serving the communities that I love, and I’m going to continue to do that.”
He said his office is still open, adding: “We’re continuing to work as hard as we can on delivering on local and national projects and on helping people with the issues I’ve been helping them with, which is housing, on planning, on passports, or the usual kind of issues that come into a TD’s office.”
