TDs steer into shame as they flunk driving-test

A GROUP of politicians who think they’re in the driving seat are about to suffer a severe dent in the ego after resitting - and flunking - their driving tests.

Six TDs who hold the transport brief for their parties, including Junior Transport Minister Ivor Callely, accepted a challenge by radio station Newstalk 106 to re-sit the driving tests and will find out this morning that not one of them made the grade.

Among them is the culprit who steered her Dáil colleagues into the embarrassing cul-de-sac, Fine Gael’s transport spokesperson, Olivia Mitchell.

Newstalk’s Declan Carty, presenter of the mid-morning City Edition slot, thought Ms Mitchell would put the brakes on his cheek when he chanced a spur of the moment challenge to her to re-take the test when she came on air earlier in the summer.

He was amazed when the deputy got all revved up about the idea and then, he coaxed her fellow transport spokespersons, Labour’s Róisín Shortall, Eamon Ryan of the Greens, PD Tom Morrissey and Sean Crowe of Sinn Féin, as well as the junior minister, Ivor Calley down the same road.

The group were all tested by Paddy Pryle of the Irish Advanced Motoring Institute.

Declan Carty suspects some of them already know the reason they should be dusting off their L-plates.

The precise details of what they did wrong and how wrong they did it will be disclosed to them live on air today between 11am and 12.30pm when Mr Callely braves a studio appearance alongside Paddy Pryle while the rest of the flunk bunch will take their medicine by phone.

The bad news is that the tests were mocks and they won’t take the less-than- magnificent seven off the roads. The good news is that the next time you see a votemobile around election time, you have the perfect excuse to run for your life in the opposite direction.