Former minister for transport Shane Ross has said it is "important" for people to know that Fine Gael presidential candidate Heather Humphreys was "absolutely opposed" to legislation to automatically disqualify all drivers over the alcohol limit.
Writing in the Sunday Independent last week, Mr Ross said Ms Humphreys should be challenged about her stance on drink-driving legislation while serving at Cabinet.
The Road Traffic Amendment Bill passed through the Oireachtas and was ultimately supported by Ms Humphreys in the Dáil vote.
Mr Ross said it was "absolutely legitimate" to say that people in rural Ireland do not have the same access to public transport as those in urban areas, but that does not justify allowing people to drive over the limit without disqualification.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, he said Ms Humphreys "made it clear" that she was opposed to the legislation.
"She made it clear at Cabinet meetings. The newspapers carried a large number of stories about it. I had contact with her about it before the meeting, I asked her to keep quiet at the Cabinet meeting and not to say anything in opposition to it," he said.
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"I'm not supposed to say what is said at Cabinet but I'm not reluctant to point you in the direction of reports of the Cabinet meeting at the time."
Mr Ross said that while the bill was backed in the end once it came through Cabinet, they were "whipped" into voting for it.
He said that if Ms Humphreys is going to be the next president, people are entitled to know where she stands on bills of that nature.
"And particularly, what her attitude was to drink-driving at the time, and why she was involved in an effort to sink the legislation," he said.
"I'm raising it because she is standing. She wasn't relevant three weeks ago. I'm raising it specifically because she is a candidate and I think it's a question on which she should be asked serious questions.
"In the end what matters is what she thinks now. I don't know whether she thinks what she felt in Cabinet or whether she thinks what she voted for. That's what I want to know - I want to know what she thinks now."
In a statement to Morning Ireland, a spokesperson for Ms Humphreys said the contention that she did not support the Road Traffic Act is untrue.
It said the Dáil record shows clearly that Ms Humphreys voted at second stage and at support stage in favour of the act on 18 January 2018 and 6 July 2018.
"Claiming that Heather Humphreys opposed the legislation doesn't stand up to the slightest scrutiny. The Constitution also sets out a responsibility of Cabinet confidentiality, which Heather Humphreys, at least, will respect."
