Fianna Fail TD Jim O'Callaghan has taken on the gruelling Garda fitness test - despite being 20 years older than the cut off age to join the gardai.
The 55-year-old has been calling for the fitness test, which one in six applicants fail, to be made easier in the face of the Garda recruitment crisis. The Physical Competency Test includes a shuttle run bleep test, push-ups, an obstacle course and a push-pull machine.
The Dublin Bay South TD is also calling for the upper age recruitment limit of 35 to be scrapped. In a video posted to Fianna Fail's Twitter page, Jim is put through his paces.
Read more: Huge spike in anti-social behaviour on Luas in last three years
Jim said at the start of the video: "We have a recruitment crisis in the gardai. A couple of weeks ago I suggested that one of the problems was the Garda fitness test - that it was too hard - and I called for it to be made easier.
"I was contacted by Paul Byrne of BodyByrne, who runs a great gym in the [Dublin Bay South] constituency. He said, 'Jim, come in and try the fitness test'.
The video starts with Jim running during the shuttle run part of the test. Then it cuts to the TD doing sit ups followed by the obstacle course - all while Eye of the Tiger is playing in the background.
Then it goes to the push-pull part. The TD says at the end: "The first thing to say is, it is not easy. It is actually more difficult than I thought it would be."
He finished the video by saying: "by the way, I passed it".
READ NEXT:
Social welfare Ireland: Everything to expect from new cost of living package
New €20million state-of-the art BusConnects plaza opens at Liffey Valley Shopping Centre
Dublin TD Paul Murphy 'delighted' as he and partner welcome first child after IVF struggle
Brave Dublin teen thanks Late Late Show viewers for raising €325,000 for Debra Ireland
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.
