Taxi provided to Dara Murphy campaign without tax or NCT 'an oversight'

A taxi with expired NCT and road tax discs which was provided to European Affairs Minister Dara Murphy’s general election campaign has been taken off the road.

The party’s director of elections in Cork North Central, Noel Cafferkey, confirmed the vehicle was no longer being used to transport canvass teams working on the Fine Gael junior minister’s campaign after the out-of-date certs were highlighted on social media over the weekend.

Photographs of the expired tax disc and NCT cert displayed on the windscreen of the Renault Trafic passenger van were posted on Facebook on Saturday. The tax disc expired in December 2015. The NCT expired in mid-January 2016.

The pictures were posted along with inaccurate suggestions that the vehicle belonged to Mr Murphy.

They were shared widely on social media platforms leading to a wave of criticism that the junior minister had failed to ensure the discs on “his vehicle” were in order.

However, Mr Cafferkey said the vehicle does not belong to Mr Murphy.

“This oversight has been brought to the attention of the owner and the vehicle has been taken off the road,” he said.

DOUBLE STANDARDS? - A taxi apparently used by Dara Murphy TD without valid tax or NCT. [e-mail] #GE16 pic.twitter.com/zBo5SQWdPT

— Neil Prendeville (@NeilRedFM) February 20, 2016

The vehicle was provided by a supporter who was anxious to help the minister’s campaign. The owner was said last night to have been highly embarrassed by the oversight, and hopes to rectify the situation soon.