Ivor Callely (born 6 May 1958) is an Irish former politician who served as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin North-Central constituency from 1989 to 2007 and a member of Seanad Éireann from 2007 to 2011, having been nominated by the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern. Between 2002 and 2005 he served as a Minister of State. He resigned from the Fianna Fáil party on 24 August 2010 due to an expenses scandal. Early life Callely was born in Clontarf, Dublin and was educated at St Paul's College, Raheny. Politics Callely first became involved in politics in 1985 when he was elected to Dublin Corporation. He was an unsuccessful candidate at the 1987 general election but was elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1989 general election and held his seat at the three subsequent general elections. In 1991 he became the youngest chairperson of the Eastern Health Board. Between 1993 and 1995 he served as Assistant Chief Whip in Fianna Fáil. From 1995 to 1997 he served as Fianna Fáil Policy Co-ordinator. At the 1997 general election he received the fifth highest vote in the country. This was followed up at the 1999 local elections when he received the highest vote in the country. In 2002 Callely was appointed by the government of Bertie Ahern as Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children with special responsibility for services for older people. In a reshuffle in September 2004, he was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Transport with special responsibility for certain traffic management issues in Dublin and the major cities, road haulage and the Irish Aviation Authority. His announcements about railway projects attracted the nickname "Ivor the Engine". On 8 December 2005, Callely resigned his ministerial post after an RTÉ News report that a building contractor involved in public contracts had painted his house for free in the early 1990s. It was also revealed that Callely had offered to personally buy a new car for one of his civil service advisers, in an attempt to persuade the adviser not to leave their job. Callely's department had an unusually high turnover of staff for some time under his stewardship. Callely lost his seat at the 2007 general election and was also unsuccessful at the Seanad elections for the Industrial and Commercial Panel in 2007. He was subsequently appointed by the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to the