|
'Resign
if you're really sorry'
Pressure
is mounting on the Dublin North TD, GV Wright (FF),
to resign from Dail Eireann following his hugely controversial
involvement in a drink driving incident.
A
North County Dublin woman, whose teenage daughter was
killed by a drunk driver in the 1980s, declared that
Deputy Wright should give up his Dail seat if he is
really sorry.
Gertie Shields was speaking out following the accident
on Thursday September 18 when the Malahide based TD
injured Anne Butler while allegedly driving over the
legal limit. Gardai may prosecute the well known TD
as a result of the incident.
In 1983, Ms Shields' 19-year-old daughter, Paula, lost
her life, along with five others from North County Dublin,
following a collision caused by a drunk driver outside
Drogheda.
“I
was absolutely disgusted when I heard about the incident
involving GV Wright,” Ms Shields told The Northside
People this week. “The man should be ashamed of
himself. I know he apologised – and fair deuce
to him – but that doesn't minimise what he has
done. He could have killed the woman. In my mind his
position is untenable.”
Ms Shields added: “ . . . I think if he is a man
of honour he will stand down. How can he represent me
if he's driving around with drink on him? I thought
he would have more intelligence.
“I
think this will come as a huge shock for most of the
people he represents. There will be a great sense of
disappointment around the place.”
Ms Shields continued: “If he [GV Wright] is a true
man of honour and he wants to let the people know how
really sorry he is, he will resign his seat.”
In statement issued to the media after the incident,
Deputy Wright “unreservedly apologised” to
the person he had injured and her family for what he
called “this serious lapse of personal responsibility
on my part”.
Deputy Wright wished her a complete and expeditious
recovery and also apologised to his family, friends
and constituents in North County Dublin.
In 1986, Gertie Shields founded an organisation called
Mothers Against Drink Driving (MADD).
The lobby group campaigns for changes in legislation
relating to drink driving offences. It also lobbies
for more effective and visible enforcement of drink
driving legislation, seeks to promote change in public
attitudes to drink driving and provides support for
individual victims of drink and dangerous driving.
Ms Shields said: “The group was born out of absolute
frustration. The drink driver who killed my daughter
and her friends only got a two year suspended sentence
and was taken off the road for 15 years. I was absolutely
disgusted by the sentence.”
When asked for his views on the incident involving his
party colleague, Cllr Michael Kennedy, who represents
the Swords ward, said he was “shocked” by
what had happened.
“I
feel very sorry for Anne Butler, the woman who suffered
serious injuries, and I wish her a speedy recovery,”
he said. “I also feel sorry for GV Wright's family
for the trauma they are suffering.”
Cllr Kennedy added: “It is a matter for Deputy
Wright to consider whether he should resign or not but
my own personal view is that this is not a resigning
issue.
“However,
I feel that the full rigours of the law should apply
to all citizens, including TDs, and I welcome the fact
that Deputy Wright has said that he will co-operate
fully in relation to the matter.”
This newspaper also phoned the office of the other Fianna
Fáil TD in Dublin North, Deputy Jim Glennon,
but he was not contactable at the time of going to press.
Green Party TD for Dublin North, Trevor Sargent, described
Deputy Wright’s dilemma as “a very grave situation”.
"It's
hard to think of something more serious but it's something
that will have to go through a judicial process,"
he said.
Asked if he thought Mr Wright should resign his Dail
seat, the Green Party Leader felt this was a matter
for the deputy and Fianna Fáil.
Deputy Sargent said there were wider issues that needed
to be addressed by the current Government, such as the
provision of public transport, random testing and the
further reduction of the drink drive limit.
“There
are still a large number of public houses not serviced
by public transport and that has to be looked at,”
he said.
|
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
