Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne was arrested on suspicion of drink driving after failing a breath test at a garda checkpoint in Dublin city centre on Thursday morning.
Byrne was travelling from his hotel to Dublin Airport to catch a flight to a conference abroad when he was stopped at a Mandatory Intoxicant Testing checkpoint on Pearse Street at approximately 5am.
He was brought to Pearse Street garda station, where he opted to provide a urine sample. The results of that test have not yet been returned.
He faces prosecution if the test comes back over the limit, but a negative result would override the roadside breath test.
An Garda Síochána stated they do not comment on individuals unless it is operationally relevant.
Byrne informed Fianna Fáil of his arrest immediately. He was later released and took a taxi to Dublin Airport before travelling to the conference.
In a statement, Byrne said: “Early on Thursday morning, while travelling from my hotel in Dublin to Dublin Airport, I was stopped at a mandatory Garda checkpoint in Dublin city centre, close to my hotel, and I was subsequently arrested on suspicion of drink driving.”
He added: “I am co-operating fully with An Garda Síochána. As the matter is ongoing, it would not be appropriate for me to comment further at this stage.”
The news of the arrest had circulated among political colleagues over the weekend before Byrne confirmed it publicly on Monday 1 June.
Fianna Fáil said in a statement: “The party will consider any developments in relation to this matter. As this is an ongoing investigation and Deputy Byrne is cooperating fully with An Garda Síochána, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”
The arrest occurred during a major garda roads policing operation over the June bank holiday weekend. Gardaí arrested more than 140 people for driving under the influence between Thursday and Monday, and detected over 3,140 drivers for speeding offences during the first four days of the operation. Three people died on Irish roads over the weekend, bringing the total number of traffic fatalities to 72 so far in 2026.
Byrne, from Gorey in County Wexford, has been a member of the Oireachtas for the past seven years. Before entering national politics, he was a local councillor from 1999 to 2019 and served as Chair of Wexford County Council. He was elected as a TD for the Wicklow-Wexford constituency in the 2024 General Election, and previously served as a senator from 2020 to 2024 and as a TD for Wexford from 2019 to 2020.
He serves as Fianna Fáil’s spokesperson on climate, environment, and energy, and on further and higher education, research, innovation, and science. He also chairs the Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence