DUBLIN, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Irish Minister for Agriculture Barry Cowen has been sacked over a drink-driving offence he committed four years ago, Irish national radio and television broadcaster RTE reported on Tuesday night.
Barry confirmed the report by saying in his Twitter account that Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin had informed him on Tuesday evening by phone that he was being removed from office as minister for agriculture.
According to the report, Martin told a meeting of the lower house of the Irish parliament on Tuesday evening that President Michael D. Higgins had terminated the appointment of Cowen as a member of the government on his advice.
Martin also told the house that he will act as the minister for agriculture himself.
Cowen was appointed as a cabinet minister on June 27 when the new coalition government led by Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin was formed after months of negotiations with other two partners, namely Fine Gael and Green Party.
The distribution of the ministerial offices among Fianna Fail members in the new government has caused a dispute among the party members, according to local media reports.
Fianna Fail has six seats in the 15-member new cabinet, with the other six seats and three seats going to Fine Gael and Green Party respectively.
Earlier this month reports emerged in local media that Cowen was arrested and convicted for a drink-driving offence. He was fined 200 euros (about 227 U.S. dollars) and was banned from driving for three months. The incident took place in September 2016 when Cowen drove home after watching an All-Ireland football final in Dublin.
Barry Cowen, 52, is a Fianna Fail politician who has served as a member of the lower house of the Irish parliament since 2011. Enditem
