Cowen conviction cannot be brushed aside
TO be quite honest, politicians can get a hard t i me at t he best of ti mes. Their stock is never great no matter how they try. The public is a suspicious, cynical lot and lump all public representatives together claiming they’re all in it for themselves but yet never putting their own name forward for office, preferring instead to sit at a keyboard to spew out their vitriol.
Sometimes, however, politicians can be their own worst enemies. There’s well documented cases of wrongdoing over the years and that’s why we should always expect nothing but the very highest standards from our politicians.
At times politicians can be unfortunate through a certain set of circumstances and end up dealing with a situation not of their own making and yet get pilloried by the public and the media.
These politicians certainly have my utmost sympathy in a world where social media has become such a monster and people feel they can dole out any abuse they can.
I have a big problem though with new Agriculture Minister Barry Cowen and his drunk driving conviction. Granted, he has said he is sorry but no public representative should ever have been in that position.
To go on to accept a senior minister’s role in Micheal Martin’s cabinet without telling the Taoiseach of his conviction is also wrong.
Cowen picked up his three-month drink-driving ban in 2016 saying the incident happened as he was dropping a friend home from the Dublin v Mayo All-Ireland football final in 2016. The Offaly TD was stopped by a garda on a Co. Kildare road. He said he had two drinks before the game, The fact is he shouldn’t have had any drinks at all. We have got to expect this standard in society least of all from our politicans.
It’s just too easy and convenient to brush all this to one side and say let’s move on.
It sends out the wrong message totally. I’ve attended too many tragic court cases and inquests over the years where alcohol was the major factor in fatalities to forgive Minister Cowen lightly and put it down to, sure it was only two pints before a match.
And, there’s also the issue of his driving licence. A TD driving around on a learner permit all this time? His arrest and convictions raises a lot of issues and I’ve a feeling this matter is far from over.