Mr Paraic "Jock" Haughey, a brother of former Taoiseach Mr Charles J. Haughey, has died at the age of 71.
Mr Paraic Haughey first came to public notice in 1970 after the Arms Trial which investigated the disposal of £100,000 in aid granted for the relief of distress in Northern Ireland. At the trial, Mr Charles Haughey and others were acquitted of illegally attempting to import arms.
A Dáil public accounts committee was convened in the aftermath of the trial.
Mr Paraic Haughey was named in evidence to the committee where it was alleged he was involved in dealing with the IRA, which he denied.
When he was called before the committee, he refused to answer questions and was sentenced by the High Court to six months imprisonment for contempt.
However, in the Supreme Court, he challenged the constitutionality of the Act under which the committee was given privilege. A stay was put on the sentence and in 1971 he won his appeal on the grounds that the legislation was unconstitutional.
In December 1980, there was a summons against him in Dublin District Court for driving and other offences.
There was controversy about the case as access to the summons was denied to court reporters. The furore led the then president of the District Court, Mr Thomas Donnelly, to deny that there had been any secrecy surrounding the case.
Mr Haughey was fined £50 for common assault on the driver of a car he crashed into late at night.
He was also fined £150 and disqualified from driving for six months for driving with excess alcohol.
In October 1982 he was ordered to pay £724.70 damages in the District Court following a car crash. In October 1988 he was fined £150 for drink-driving.