Senator wins 'nanny-in-chief' award

Tue 14th November, 2017

A Senator has been declared Ireland's 'nanny-in-chief' at a dinner organised by the smokers' group Forest Ireland.

Catherine Noone, who was guest of honour at the inaugural Golden Nanny Awards in Dublin last night, was awarded the accolade for going "above and beyond" other politicians and public health campaigners.

According to Keith Redmond, co-founder of the Hibernia Forum think tank, who presented the award:

"Our overall winner stands out even in a country that has so many politicians with a nanny state instinct. Senator Noone has gone above and beyond the rest, raising eyebrows even among her nanny state colleagues.

"She not only supports headline grabbing policies like minimum pricing of alcohol, the booze burka, and plain packaging of tobacco. She has also advocated bans on fast food outlets, proposed a ban on price promotions for chocolate biscuits and even wanted to ban chimes on ice cream vans."

Accepting her award, Noone said, "Libertarians, contrarians, barbarians, thank you.

"This is not about telling people what to do, but it is vital that the government raises awareness of how to prevent health issues rather than simply treating them."

She later tweeted, "Proud recipient of the Golden Nanny Award 2017 – proud moment."

Other winners at last night's 'Farewell to Freedom' dinner included Fine Gael TD Marcella Corcoran Kennedy 'for services to plain packaging of tobacco' and finance minister Paschal Donohoe for introducing the sugar tax.

Senator James Reilly's crusade against smoking earned the former health minister a 'lifetime achievement award' while TV chef and restaurateur Jamie Oliver won the International Golden Nanny award for his "puritanical" campaign against obesity.

John Mallon, spokesman for Forest Ireland, said, “The Golden Nanny Awards highlight the explosion of nanny state regulations in Ireland.

“The sugar tax, plain packaging of tobacco and minimum pricing of alcohol are simply the latest examples of excessive and unnecessary government interventions in the lives of ordinary people.

"People are fed up of being told how to live their lives. Other politicians and NGOs take note otherwise you too could be nominated for an award next year!"

The 'Farewell to Freedom' dinner was supported by the Hibernia Forum think tank, Dublin Salon debating group, Students for Liberty Ireland and the Consumer Choice Centre.

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