Senator Martin Conway has resigned from the Fine Gael parliamentary party amid an ongoing disciplinary process following his arrest last month.
In his statement, the senator from Clare explained that he was arrested on January 22 on O’Connell Street in Dublin “for being in an intoxicated state due to the consumption of sleeping tablets and alcohol”, reports RTE. He was detained at Store Street Garda Station and released without charge after several hours.
Conway noted that this incident was not previously disclosed to his party. He issued an apology that RTE published:
He said: “I was detained at Store Street Garda Station and subsequently released without charge a number of hours later.
“This was not disclosed to the party”, he said in a statement to RTE.
Mr Conway added: “I would like to apologise unreservedly for this to my family, colleagues, supporters and my nominating body, Vision Ireland. I let myself down.
“I would also like to apologise to the members of An Garda SÃochána for having to deal with this matter.
“I have resigned from the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party.
“I understand that a disciplinary process will now commence.”
Fine Gael said a separate statement to RTE that it noted Conway’s resignation and apology.
Fine Gael claim that it is now subject to a party disciplinary process.
Many people on social media have been saying that Conway was “drunk on power”. Others claimed they saw him drunk and that he would have been a “handful to deal with” by gardai.
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