Former Galway East TD Colm Keaveney appeared before Tuam District Court today for his sentencing hearing, where Judge James Faughnan imposed 220 hours of Community Service in lieu of a four-month prison sentence.
At a September sitting of Tuam Court Keaveney pleaded guilty to one drug-driving offence and two charges of driving without insurance. Judge Faughnan ordered the completion of a Probation report before sentencing and said at the time if the report was positive he would deal with the matter accordingly.
Keaveney, also previously a member of both Galway County Council and Tuam Town Council, is already off the road for four years after being banned at Carrick-on-Shannon Court on July 22 last, for refusing to provide a sample when stopped by Gardaí in October 2024 on suspicion of a similar offence. He was involved in a collision in Boyle, Co Roscommon on the night and pleaded guilty to failure to provide a sample and failure to remain at the scene of an accident.
Today's hearing saw him receive an additional three-year driving ban.
Evidence was heard at the earlier sitting of Tuam Court of Keaveney being stopped while 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 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 solicitor (defending ) pleaded 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.
Judge Faughnan said at the time that Keaveney had a “significant fall from grace.”
This article is funded by Comisiún na Meán.
