Political Quiz 2017

Full list of questions and answers

There was a great response from Sunday Business Post readers to the 2017 political quiz, with entries coming in from all around the country by post and online. Thanks to everyone who took part.

The winner was Bernadette Hogan from Derryfrench, Ballindooly, Co Galway. She will be getting a case of Torres Celeste wine from the famous Torres winery in Spain.

The full list of questions and correct answers in the political quiz are available below:

QUESTION 1

Leo Varadkar, in the course of his successful campaign to become leader of Fine Gael, made a pitch for which of the following groups:

(a) insomniacs

(b) early-risers

(c) people who have their dinner in the middle of the day

(d) power-nappers

QUESTION 2

Canadian premier Justin Trudeau visited Government Buildings in July. What colour/type socks was he wearing?

(a) beige and white stripes

(b) red and white with a pattern of mounties and maple leaves

(c) green polka dots on orange

(d) Star Wars

QUESTION 3

Government Minister John Halligan announced – and later cancelled – a plan that he would lead a three-man delegation of Independent Alliance deputies on what mission?

(a) to find out if there was life on Mars

(b) to meet the Lough Ness monster in Scotland

(c) to explore peace with North Korea

(d) to establish why Sam Maguire is taking so long to return to Mayo

QUESTION 4

About whom was Micheal Martin talking in the Dáil in June when he said: “he is an Irish patriot and an Irish democrat.”?

(a) O’Donovan Rossa

(b) Liam Cosgrave

(c) Eamon de Valera

(d) Enda Kenny

QUESTION 5

Who chaired the citizens' assembly on the 8th amendment?

(a) Al Porter

(b) Conor McGregor

(c) Kieran Mulvey

(d) Mary Laffoy

QUESTION 6

Danny Healy Rae said he would be happy to board a plane if the pilot had how many drinks?

(a) None

(b) Two or three

(c) five or six

(d) eight or nine

QUESTION 7

What percentage of the support of FG grassroots members did Leo Varadkar get in the party leadership election last May?

(a) one-third

(b) half

(c) two-thirds

(d) three-quarters

QUESTION 8

Former Councillor Johnathan Dowdall was sentenced to 12 years in jail after he was convicted of false imprisonment and attempted murder. To what party did he belong?

(a) Solidarity-People Before Profit

(b) Social Democrats

(c) Sinn Féin

(d) Renua

QUESTION 9

To whom did Donald Trump say: "You're in such good shape, beautiful..."?

(a) Angela Merkel

(b) Theresa May

(c) Leo Varadkar

(d) Brigitte Macron

QUESTION 10

Who is the Minister of State for European Affairs?

(a) Gay Mitchell

(b) Helen McEntee

(c) Lucinda Creighton

(d) Dara Murphy

QUESTION 11

Which former Fine Gael minister presents a tea-time show on national radio?

(a) Paddy Cooney

(b) Ivan Yates

(c) Richie Ryan

(d) Alan Shatter

QUESTION 12

Simon Coveney hired which prominent journalist to work as an adviser?

(a) Seán Whelan

(b) Chris Donoghue

(c) Stephen Collins

(d) David McCullough

QUESTION 13

Only one member of the current Dáil Éireann served as a TD with the late Liam Cosgrave. Who was he?

(a) Gerry Adams

(b) Michael Noonan

(c) Willie O’Dea

(d) Enda Kenny

QUESTION 14

Who stepped down as Secretary General of the Department of Justice amid the political crisis over the handling of complaints by whistleblower Gerry McCabe in November?

(a) Brian Purcell

(b) Noel Waters

(c) Frances Fitzgerald

(d) Oliver Connolly

QUESTION 15

How did Michelle O’Neill become Sinn Féin’s leader in the Northern Assembly last January?

(a) secret ballot/democratic election

(b) spinning a wheel

(c) by winning most votes on a premium rate phone-in ballot

(d) appointed by the party’s Ard Comhairle on the recommendation of Gerry Adams

QUESTION 16

What is the basic pay of a Dáil deputy on 1st December, 2017?

a) €65,311

b) €89,965

c) €100,268

d) €118,477

QUESTION 17

Fianna Fáil headhunted a new TD from within the 32nd Dáil in February. Who was it?

(a) Imelda Munster

(b) Michael Collins

(c) Róisín Shortall

(d) Stephen Donnelly

QUESTION 18

What is the name of the drinking club frequented by Sinn Féin in Belfast?

(a) The Regency

(b) The Felons

(c) The Gravediggers

(d) The Bankers

QUESTION 19

Labour leader Brendan Howlin was named after which of the following:

(a) Brendan the Navigator

(b) Brendan Halligan

(c) Brendan Corish

(d) Brendan Kennelly

QUESTION 20

Who is the EU’s Chief Negotiator on Brexit?

(a) Nigel Farage

(b) Michel Barnier

(c) David Davis

(d) Stephen Bannon

QUESTION 21

How did Fine Gael TD Kate O’Connell describe Leo Varadkar’s supporters during the Fine Gael leadership contest last June?

(a) choirboys singing for their supper

(b) like pigs with their snouts in the trough

(c) born with silver spoons in their mouths

(d) blueshirt bootboys

QUESTION 22

When Jim O’Callaghan TD announced on the RTE Six One News in November that Fianna Fáil would be voting no confidence in Frances Fitzgerald, some of his party colleagues were watching the TV in the Members’ Bar in Leinster House. How did they react?

(a) started to throw beer mats at the TV

(b) broke down in tears

(c) indicated their approval (perhaps with some cheering)

(d) burnt effigies of Frances Fitzgerald

QUESTION 23

Government Minister John Halligan, who has special responsibility for trainings, skills, innovation, research and development, asked what question of a female candidate at an interview for a job in his office in 2016:

(a) Can you make me a good cup of tea?

(b) Are you up the pole by any chance?

(c) How good are you at the hoovering, love?

(d) Are you married?

QUESTION 24

What businessman – in an interview in The Sunday Business Post – accused Dublin City Council of “f***ing up” the capital city and said it was run by a “bunch of cyclists” who live close to the city centre?

(a) Patrick Coveney

(b) Michael O’Leary

(c) Denis O’Brien

(d) Gary McGann

QUESTION 25

What is the name of the Taoiseach’s partner?

(a) Matthew Barrett

(b) Matthew Cooper

(c) Matthew Parris

(d) Matthew Thresher

ANSWERS

1 b

2 a

3 c

4 d

5 d

6 b

7 a

8 c

9 d

10 b

11 b

12 b

13 d

14 b

15 d

16 b

17 d

18 b

19 c

20 b

21 a

22 c

23 d

24 b

25 a