Keeping You Abreast – What’s the story with Ming and his penalty points?

It’s been a controversial few days for TD Luke Flanagan, but the furore surrounding his quashed penalty points looks like it could rumble on for a while yet.

Ming Flanagan found himself at the centre of political storm at the weekend when the Sunday Independent ran a story that he had had penalty points quashed with the help of gardai and local authorities, something which he strenuously denied initially on Twitter.

The Roscommon politician, who has been a leading voice over allegations of corruption within the gardai over the quashing of 50,000 penalty points, initially denied any wrong doing, before insisting that he would explain all at a Dail sitting.

That sitting which took place on Tuesday has not gone down well with the general public. Ming admitted that penalty points had been cancelled on two separate occasions in 2011, but argued that he was a passive victim in the whole process as it was a garda sergeant who insisted he avail of the rule that stated politicians on their way to Dail duty were immune from arrest.

“I informed him that there was no point but he insisted that I write to the station and explain. I did so and no points were added to my licence,”  he said, despite the fact that on that date, Friday June 3rd there was no Dail sitting.

The politician also implicated Roscommon county manager Frank Dawson, who he claimed “sorted out” the penalty points. Dawson has rejected these claims out of hand and cancelled his trip to the US in light of the recent developments.

Pressure will now come on Flanagan to explain fully the circumstances behind the two incidents, in June 2011 and in December 2011, when he was caught using a mobile phone while driving. It is conceivable it could also form the basis of a Garda investigation.

Ming has appeared on local radio to admit that what he did was “corrupt”, and also received a grilling from Vincent Browne on his TV3 show, with the television host stating “you are up to your neck in it”.

The TD has insisted he will not resign as that his case is an example of what is endemic in Irish society and in particular, for high-profile figures especially.

This could rumble on for a while yet.

In association with Supermacs, the home of the chicken breast sandwich.