The first visually impaired politician to serve in Ireland’s parliament has resigned from his party after being arrested while drunk on a Dublin street.
Just days after being re-elected to the Seanad (Senate), Martin Conway admitted that he was arrested in the early hours of 22 January “for being in an intoxicated state due to consumption of sleeping tablets and alcohol”.
He said: “I was detained at Store Street Garda Station and subsequently released without charge a number of hours later.”
The 50-year-old member of the Seanad (the upper house) admitted that he did not inform his party of the arrest.
Senator Conway was a member of Fine Gael, led by the current deputy prime minister Simon Harris.
In a statement, the senator said he “would like to apologise unreservedly for this to my family, colleagues, supporters and my nominating body, Vision Ireland“.
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He added: “I let myself down. I would also like to apologise to the members of An Garda Síochána [Irish police] 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 it “notes” the senator’s “statement, apologies and his resignation of the party whip”, and confirmed the matter is now subject to a party disciplinary process.
Senator Conway, from Co Clare, was born with congenital cataracts.
He has been a board member of the charity Vision Ireland since 2013. The organisation has been approached for comment.
His arrest took place just hours before the Dail (lower house of the parliament) met to confirm Micheal Martin as the new taoiseach, or prime minister.
Chaotic scenes in the chamber over speaking rights led to that process being postponed until the following day.
New senators were elected or nominated in an election in January. Just six days ago, Senator Conway said he was “absolutely delighted” to be re-elected and thanked his supporters.
The Seanad consists of 60 members, who are elected to five vocational panels, from two university constituencies or nominated by the taoiseach.
New senators include former Sky News broadcaster Alison Comyn.
