Brexit up for discussion as Cowen speaks with Commissioner Hogan and Northern Ireland counterpart

EMBATTLED Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Barry Cowen TD this week held a meeting via video conference with European Commissioner for Trade, Phil Hogan, and spoke via telephone conference call with his Northern Ireland counterpart Edwin Poots MLA.

Brexit was among the key topics examined during the discussion, and Commissioner Hogan provided the Minister with an update on EU-UK negotiations, Minister Cowen said.

“[I] took the opportunity to reiterate Ireland’s agri-food and fisheries concerns, including in relation to the potential economic impact post-December 2020, regardless of the outcome of the negotiations,” Minister Cowen said after the meeting. “Similarly, my conversation with Minister Poots was very constructive, and covered North-South trading arrangements post-Brexit, implementation of the Ireland/ Northern Ireland Protocol, and the prospects for the wider EU-UK discussions on the future relationship.”

The meeting took place on Tuesday, July 7, and that night Minister Cowen addressed the Dáil to apologise for a drink-driving incident on September 18, 2016. This occurred following the All-Ireland football final, and he was disqualified from driving for three months after testing over the legal alcohol limit while driving home to County Offaly after the game.

“Before the match I consumed two drinks and following the game I had a light meal before driving home to Offaly,” Minister Cowen told the Dáil.

“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 the local Garda Station confirmed that I was over the legal alcohol limit.

“At the time I held a learner driving permit because my previous provisional licence had lapsed.

“As such the penalty for my offence was a €200 fine and a three-month driving ban.

“I subsequently secured and now hold a full, clean driving licence,” Mr Cowen added following an extremely testing first ten days in the position.”

Minister Cowen has also faced scrutiny over how someone of his age – he was 49 at the time – could have been driving on a provisional or learner permit. He has moved to defend his position, although he admitted this was “bad practice”.

“The fact is that before the recent and proper reforms of the system it was not uncommon for people of all ages and levels of experience to drive with either a provisional or a learner permit.

“However, this was bad practice and I clearly should have regularised my position much sooner.

“My decision in September 2016 to drive home after consuming any alcohol was a stupid, stupid mistake.

“It never happened before September 18, 2016, and it has never happened since.

“It is a mistake for which I am profoundly sorry.”