Flanagan Admits Having Penalty Points Cancelled

The Dáil has heard an admission from Independent TD Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan that penalties point he was to receive for driving offence were cancelled, on two separate occasions.

In both incidents, Flanagan was stopped by garda for using a mobile phone while driving.

The Dáil heard how a few days after receiving a fixed penalty notice in the post for the first incident on June 03 last year, the TD asked a garda sergeant about the penalty points.

Flanagan claims that this sergeant told him he was exempt penalty points.

The second incident occurred as Flanagan travelled to a county council meeting, when stopped he was told he would get penalty points.

Having mentioned this at the meeting, allegedly he was contacted on his way home by "a senior council official" telling him that his penalty points issue had been "sorted out".

Mr Flanagan said that he believed that it was indicative of the culture that exists; he said that the fact that a council official has the confidence to approach gardaí with a view to having the penalty points cancelled is further proof of this.

Mr Flanagan also questioned how the information regarding his penalty points had come to light.

(H)