Barry Cowen has apologised to his Cabinet colleagues after it emerged he served a driving ban several years ago, according to Eamon Ryan.
Minister Cowen - a Fianna Fáil TD who was appointed as Agriculture Minister last weekend - was disqualified from driving for three months and fined €200 after being detected over the limit while driving from Dublin to Offaly in 2016.
Speaking on RTÉ today, Minister Cowen has described the ban as the result of a "terribly stupid, stupid mistake" and something he regrets.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin yesterday said he was 'disappointed' to have only learned of the driving ban on Friday - but said he accepted that Barry Cowen showed 'genuine remorse' over the incident.
Cabinet colleague and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan told On The Record the ban shows nobody is exempt from the law.
He said: “It was absolutely appropriate that the proper fines and ban were put in place.
“He has acknowledged that was wrong… he has apologised to his colleagues, and this is something I accept.
“Of course it’s a bad thing to do - that’s recognised in the fact that the fine and ban was imposed. There’s a message here that no-one is exempt from the proper laws."
