Shane Ross accidentally votes against own drink-driving Bill
Transport Minister Shane Ross accidentally voted against his own drink-driving Bill in the Dáil this afternoon, .
Mr Ross who brought forward the controversial Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2017, appeared to press the 'Níl' button by mistake during voting in the Dáil chamber today, meaning he voted to reject his proposals.
But he quickly moved to amend his mistake.
The Bill which has been subject to extensive debate in the Dáil, with many TDs expressing concerns that it will have a devastating impact on rural pubs and those living in isolated areas, was passed by 85 votes.
Mr Ross, had consistently said that the new laws, which will lower the threshold for an automatic drink-driving disqualification, would save lives.
There were eight votes against the Bill with 37 abstentions, the majority coming from the Fianna Fáil benches.
There were shouts and claps in the chamber after it appeared that Mr Ross pressed the wrong button during the electronic vote, with Independent TD Mattie McGrath, a strong opponent of the new laws, crossing the floor of the Dáil to jokingly shake the Minister's hand.
However, the Dublin Rathdown TD corrected his ballot on the floor of the Dáil, before the ballot was officially recorded.
Now that the second stage of the legislation has been passed by the Dáil, the Bill will now go to committee for debate on amendments.
