Mum of man killed by drunk driver calls for Minister Barry Cowen to resign saying ‘he’s an appalling example’
THE mother of a man killed by a drunk driver has called for “brazen” Barry Cowen to resign as the embattled Minister is accused of feeling “above the law”.
Christina Donnelly’s son Brendan, 24, and his friend Lee Salkeld were killed in October 2009 by drunk driver Anthony Long as they drove to Cork Airport for a weekend in Amsterdam with their partners.
In honour of her son, Ms Donnelly campaigned for Brendan’s Law, which bans drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes from driving while awaiting trial.
She described Cowen as brazen and brassnecked.
She said: “I think he should step aside from his ministerial portfolio because he’s an appalling example of someone who should be leading by example and has failed to do so.
“I think his apologies now are very weak and very insincere because he got caught.”
MEET WITH FAMILIES
The heartbroken mum called on Cowen to meet with families who have lost loved as a result of drink drivers.
She added: “I thought his behaviour was appalling, showing a total lack of respect for the laws of the land. He should be ashamed of himself.
“People who drink-drive and cause such mayhem don’t see what families go through. It destroys you.
“I think Barry Cowen should meet families who have lost loved ones to drink drivers and see the devastation getting behind a wheel and driving with drink on board causes.
“It would be good for someone like him to look into the eyes of someone who has lost a loved one in this way.
“But I don’t think he would have the guts to do that, because he has been very very coy, something you can see in his body language. He’s angry because he was caught out and being questioned about it. That shows very little depth to the man.”
'LOTS OF QUESTIONS'
Roisin Shortall, the co-leader of the Social Democrats, said she’s “concerned” some politicians think rules don’t apply to them as the drink-drive scandal continues.
Ms Shortall took aim at the newly appointed Agriculture Minister and blasted his grovelling apology in the Dail, which left “lots of questions hanging in the air,” saying the situation “just doesn’t add up”.
The TD also slammed Fianna Fail MEP Billy Kelleher for flouting quarantine rules by attending Micheal Martin’s election in the Convention Centre after returning from Brussels.
Ms Shortall told The Irish Sun: “I think what it shows is a kind of sense among some politicians that they’re above the law. We had another example of that with Billy Kelleher who didn’t adhere to the rules around foreign travel where he came in from Brussels.”
'CONCERNED'
She revealed she was “concerned there would be that sense of entitlement and a sense the rules are just for ordinary people and not for politicians” and noted that was a “hallmark of Fianna Fail in the past”.
Ms Shortall urged Barry Cowen, who was caught over the alcohol limit and banned for three months while driving on a provincial license, to answer further questions surrounding the controversy.
She continued: “One of the most important questions is can he confirm that he didn’t drive during his period of suspension.
“And how did he travel if he was suspended for three months.
“During the many years that he was on a provincial license, did he adhere to the rules of a provincial license, in terms of having an experienced driver with him and not going on a motorway and displaying L plates?
“I think from the point of view of his own reputation but also for transparency and accountability reasons I think he should be answering those questions.”
The embattled TD also faced mounting pressure last night to reveal where and when he sat his driving test, with calls for Taoiseach Micheal Martin to get to the bottom of it.
Chairwoman of PARC Road Safety Group Susan Gray said: “We’re calling on Micheal Martin to call in Barry Cowen, sit down with him and clarify every law that he has broke... what kind of man are we dealing with here?”
'STUPID MISTAKE'
Mr Cowen, brother of former Taoiseach Brian Cowen, said he was “profoundly sorry,” admitting the incident after the All Ireland football final in 2016 was a “stupid, stupid mistake”.
He said in the Dail on Tuesday: “Before the match I consumed two drinks and following the game had a light meal before driving home to Offaly.
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“On the way to drop my friend home, I was stopped by gardaí and asked to participate in a breathalyser test. I did so, and both this test and a subsequent test at a local Garda station confirmed that I was over the legal alcohol limit.”
Mr Cowen, who held a learner permit at the time of the incident, was slapped with a driving ban and had to pay a €200 fine.
Fianna Fail and Barry Cowen did not respond to questions despite multiple attempts by The Irish Sun.