Former Galway East TD and Galway county councillor, Colm Keaveney appeared before Tuam District Court on Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to one drug-driving offence and two charges of driving without insurance.
The former Labour TD was first elected to the Dail in 2011 but later joined Fianna Fáil. He lost his Dáil seat in 2016 and regained his Co Council seat as a Fianna Fáil member in 2019, but did not contest the 2024 local elections.
Judge James Faughnan heard Garda evidence of Keaveney being stopped driving a Ford Focus at Cummer, Tuam on June 12, 2023. He failed a roadside drug test and was arrested and brought to Tuam Garda Station where he provided a blood sample. This showed he had cocaine in his system.
Keaveney was disqualified from driving at Carrick-on-Shannon court on July 22 last, for refusing to provide a sample when stopped by Gardaí on suspicion of a similar offence. He was involved in a collision in Boyle, Co Roscommon on October tenth last and pleaded guilty to failure to provide a sample offence and failure to remain at the scene of an accident.
Judge Faughnan was told that the Medical Bureau sought payment of €1,971 for the analysis of the defendant’s blood sample.
Keaveney was stopped by Gardaí at Vicar Street, Tuam on July 25, 2024 and failed to produce insurance when demanded. Four days later he was stopped again in the same vehicle and again failed to produce evidence of being insured to Gardaí.
Gearóid Geraghty solr (defending ) said his client was born in 1971 and fell into addiction as a result of personal circumstances and medical issues. His brother died in 2016 and he took up the responsibility of looking after his parents who died within a week of each other. His client attended services to deal with his addiction issues and remained in aftercare.
On the matter of driving without insurance the defence argued that his client had changed insurers and because of some bureaucratic confusion was unaware that he was not covered when he was stopped twice within days.
Mr Geraghty noted that his client had suffered from the significant media interest in his case as a result of his former high profile. He was now on disability allowance.
Judge Faughnan said that Keaveney had a “significant fall from grace” and he wanted to order a Probation Report to see how best to deal with these matters. Mr Geraghty said his client wished the Court to know he was willing to do community service if the Judge thought this appropriate.
Adjourning sentencing until November 25, to give time for the Probation Report to be prepared, Judge Faughnan said if the report was positive he would deal with matters accordingly.
