Ferris: I did have drinks
Sinn Féin’s TD for Kerry North, Martin Ferris, has said that he is embarrassed and disappointed with his actions which led to his arrest, on suspicion of drink-driving, yesterday morning.
In an interview on local radio, Deputy Ferris admitted that he had drank two pints and a glass of red wine in the course of Saturday night. He said he is awaiting results of analysis on a urine sample that he gave to gardaí.
Deputy Ferris said that he is hoping he will be okay but added that if the results show he was over the limit he would be putting his hands up. Deputy Ferris said he would commend the gardaí for what they are doing.
He said they did the right thing and that, if the results of the analysis show that he was over the limit, he would owe the people of north Kerry a huge apology.
The Sinn Féin deputy said he expected the results of the analysis within the next fortnight.
He will have to wait for two weeks to find out if he is to be charged with drink driving.
A member of the Sinn Féin's Ard Comhairle, or national executive, Mr Ferris, a former member of Kerry Count Council, was elected to Dáil Eireann in 2002, taking the seat of former Labour Tánaiste Dick Spring.
He is currently the party’s spokesman on Agriculture and Rural Development and Marine and Natural Resources.
Deputy Ferris is also a member of the Sinn Féin negotiating team, regularly participating in party delegations which meet with both the Irish and British governments.
An active republican since the early 1970s, Deputy Ferris was jailed for 10 years in 1984 for attempting to smuggle arms into the country.
