MINISTER FOR HEALTH, James Reilly and Independent TD, Mick Wallace are among the winners of the Tonight with Vincent Browne Political Awards for 2012.
The broadcaster has announced the five winners, picked by an independent judging panel, on his regular weeknight TV3 show.
And the 2012 winners are…
Politician of the Year went to James Reilly, Minister for Health. The adjudicators said the top gong went to the Fine Gael TD “for all the wrong reasons! That he has actually survived Stubbs, primary care centre selection criteria and not to mention not doing his “ekker” on the cuts, is a minor miracle”.
Mary Lou McDonald took on and put manners on “the boys club and the clucking hens of the FG backbenchers” which saw her take home the Opposition Politician of the Year award.
Minister of the Year went to Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan. He was commended for managing “to keep the show on the road” and being a “Government strongman who commands respect, but doesn’t like Feta cheese”.
Róisín Shortall, Independent TD was given the honour of Speech of the Year. The judging panel said, “The former junior minister stood by the Republic and resigned – in an act rare to Irish politics, actually restoring some respect to the profession.”
Gaffe of the Year was handed to Independent TD, Mick Wallace. The long-haired, pink t-shirt loving Wexford man won the title because of his “VAT fun and frolics”, said the judges.
The adjudicators of the awards were: journalist Alison O’Connor; John Drennan, Political Correspondent with the Sunday Independent; Theresa Reidy, Department of Government at University College Cork and Senan Moloney, Political Editor Irish Daily Mail.
The Tonight programme team had no involvement in selection process.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say