Daly awaits blood-sample results after 'unsatisfactory' breathalyser test
Clare Daly is awaiting the results of a blood sample she gave to gardaí after she was stopped for making a wrong turn on a Dublin street on Monday night.
Before being pulled over, the Independent TD said she had attended a meeting where she was offered a hot whiskey for a cold.
Deputy Daly said she had not eaten since lunchtime and "did not realise the implications of taking this house measure of hot whiskey".
In a statement on her website, deputy Daly said she was breathalysed at the scene, but "this was not satisfactory", and that she was then taken to Kilmainham Garda station to give the blood sample.
In her statement, she says: "I accept full responsibility for what is a serious lack of judgement and while I find it surprising that the Gardaí in Kilmainham released this information to tabloid journalists before 11am, I believe that the Gardaí implementing road safety have a job to do and I support them."
"On Monday evening after meetings in the Dáil, I attended a meeting in Swords and left at 9.30pm for another meeting requested by a family of longstanding political acquaintances in the Southside of the city near the Canal.
"I arrived after 10pm and spent almost two hours discussing political issues which I had raised in the Dáil. Before I left I was offered a hot whiskey for a cold. I had no food since lunchtime and did not realise the implications of taking this house measure of hot whiskey.
"I left at midnight and not being familiar with the area found myself on the road to Ballyfermot at Kilmainham and took a right turn onto the South Circular Road trying to get back onto the Northside – unfortunately there is no right turn at this junction.
"A passing Garda patrol car saw the turn and pulled me over and this was brought to my attention by Gardai in a car who stopped me. I was breathalysed but this was not satisfactory and was brought to the Kilmainham Garda Station where a blood sample was taken.
"I accept full responsibility for what is a serious lack of judgement and while I find it surprising that the Gardaí in Kilmainham released this information to tabloid journalists before 11am, I believe that the Gardaí implementing road safety have a job to do and I support them.
"Should the test result on the sample provided prove to be above the statutory limit, I will accept the consequences and resolve that this will not happen again."
