FIANNA FÁIL TD Christy O'Sullivan has said he is "deeply sorry for and embarrassed" by his arrest on suspicion of drink driving earlier this week.
Mr O'Sullivan, a TD in the Cork South West constituency, confirmed he was arrested in Clonakilty on Monday and taken to the Garda station where he was tested to see if he was over the limit.
In a statement issued by the Fianna Fáil press office, Mr O'Sullivan said if the test found he was over the limit, he would accept whatever punishment was imposed by the courts.
"I accept unreservedly that nobody is above the law and that, as a lawmaker, there is an added onus on me to comply with the laws of the land," he said.
Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern said he did "not want to discuss a specific case" but added: "everybody in the country has to abide by the law of the land".
Earlier, on RTÉ radio, the Minister for Education, Batt O'Keeffe, said he felt sorry for Mr O'Sullivan. "He knows himself it isn't appropriate to drink and drive," but he added: "We should all remember that we are human."