stated that Ireland should leave the economic and monetary union (EMU), based on the euro currency. Flanagan admitted to "atrocious" timing after calling gardaí "corrupt" on television, as thousands of people gathered for the state funeral of murdered garda Adrian Donohoe in Dundalk, County Louth, in January 2013. In early March 2013, Daniel McConnell of the Sunday Independent reported that Flanagan had been issued with a fine of €60 and two penalty points on his driving licence for operating a mobile phone while driving in June 2011. According to these reports, Flanagan then had his punishment rescinded at a later date with a claim of being 'on Dáil business'. The stories caused controversy at the time, for Flanagan, along with other independent TDs, had been involved in a campaign highlighting the cancellation of 197 Fixed Charge Notices out of the 1.4 million issued, which it was alleged were 'inappropriately' quashed. In the Dáil, Flanagan admitted he twice had penalty points cancelled, though he also asked that they be reinstated. In June 2013, Flanagan came to prominence as an advocate of turf cutters whose ability to cut turf (peat) was affected by the European Union's Habitats Directive. As part of his advocacy, Flanagan attended a number of turf cutters' protests. Flanagan supports the cutting of turf from bogs including when they are protected as Special Areas of Conservation. Despite a European Union ban, he has cut turf at Cloonchambers Bog near Castlerea, a raised bog which has been designated a Special Area of Conservation. European Parliament On 21 March 2014, Flanagan announced that he would run as an independent candidate for the Midlands–North-West constituency at the 2014 European Parliament election. He ran on an "anti-European Union platform". During the campaign he said, "I'm sick and tired of dealing with the monkey, I want to go and deal with the organ grinder." He was elected on 26 May 2014, at the second count, after being deemed to have passed the quota. In December 2014, Flanagan was named as having the second worst voting record among Irish MEPs at the European Parliament, as determined by VoteWatch Europe and reported in Ireland. He explained that this was as a result of his wife being ill and his children needing him. He supported a 'Yes' vote in the 2018 Irish abortion referendum. He was re-elected in the 2019 European Parliament election in May. References External