A former Irish cupboard minister sacked about a drink-driving offence 4 many years back has reported the final decision has “undermined” fair course of action.

Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin dismissed Barry Cowen on Tuesday night, just after he noticed a Garda [police] report that lifted “more problems necessitating more rationalization”.

Mr Cowen served a a few-thirty day period ban for consume-driving in September 2016.

He denies that he attempted to keep away from a law enforcement checkpoint for the duration of the incident.

The allegation is stated in a Garda computer system file of the incident.

The taoiseach mentioned Mr Cowen was “not organized to tackle this allegation publicly and will not make any additional statement or response any issues on this situation in this dwelling (Dáil Éireann, the Irish parliament)”.

The former agriculture minister, who was appointed just 17 days in the past, was stopped at the checkpoint and breathalysed on his way home to County Offaly from Dublin soon after the All-Eire soccer ultimate four many years in the past.

• Irish minister sacked in excess of consume-push row

Crafting on Twitter next his dismissal, Mr Cowen explained: “At no time did I attempt to evade the Gardaí.

“Had I finished so, the prices brought from me would, pretty the right way, have been of a distinctive tenor to individuals with which I was charged.

“I am dependable for the offence with which I was convicted four decades back, not for an inaccurate Garda entry on Pulse (Garda computer system) about that event.”

He additional: “10 days in the past and this afternoon the taoiseach believed my failure of 2016 did not warrant my removing from place of work, but he now seems to have transformed his brain dependent on a Pulse report I gave him this early morning.”

Mr Cowen, who is the brother for previous taoiseach Brian Cowen, explained he the report was “leaked in contravention of the protections that I and every other citizen is entitled to count on in respect of their conversation with the Garda”.

“Sadly the conclusion of the taoiseach to remove me from workplace, when he supported me this afternoon in the Dáil, has undermined and probably prejudiced my entitlement to reasonable system,” Mr Cowen concluded.

Dreadful get started for Fianna Fáil’s corner of the coalition

by Shane Harrison, BBC Dublin correspondent

Mícheál Martin is familiar with that following his sacking of Barry Cowen, the opposition parties will now focus on him and his handling of the affair.

Why did he look to defend his then agriculture minister in the Dáil on Tuesday afternoon and then fire him much less than 7 several hours later?

What did he know about the consume-driving controversy? When did he know it? And what, if just about anything, did he do with that info?

By any evaluate the Fianna Fáil factor of the 3-celebration coalition with the Greens and Great Gael has experienced a dreadful start.

1st there was the mess of cabinet appointments, with no whole minister from as much south as Limerick to Donegal in the north.

Then Fianna Fáil deputy chief Dara Calleary manufactured apparent his unhappiness at merely being main whip.

In the meantime, Jim O’Callaghan, a opportunity concentration of opposition to Mr Martin’s Fianna Fáil leadership, declined a junior ministerial appointment.

And, all the when, the Cowen drink-driving controversy rumbled on with a lot of media protection.

In sacking Barry Cowen, the taoiseach appears to have taken the check out that if you’re detailing, you are losing – but Mícheál Martin is aware of he also now has some describing to do.

On Tuesday, Mr Martin reported over the earlier 10 days Mr Cowen experienced “been the topic of important criticism and condemnation for a highway visitors offence that took spot in 2016”.

“I created this apparent to him (Mr Cowen) and gave him area currently to look at the issue more.

“Having said that he has resolved that he is not prepared to deal with this allegation publicly and will not make any further assertion or remedy any inquiries on this problem in this dwelling.

“This conclusion has established a circumstance exactly where genuine doubts and questions are remaining elevated and govt colleagues are envisioned to handle these and this is simply untenable.”

He included: “This is a extremely unfortunate day for Barry, his household and for me. He has been a very dedicated public agent, pretty diligent and extremely dedicated.”

Mr Martin was elected taoiseach just about two weeks in the past as component of a historic coalition deal involving his party, Fianna Fáil, the Environmentally friendly Social gathering and Fine Gael.