Show pony Lee paraded around Dáil chamber

GEORGE LEE’S Dáil enthronement was a suitably lavish affair which took a lot out of all concerned.

The Blueshirt howl that greeted his entrance to the chamber shook the rafters and the applause as he, and fellow by-election victor Maureen O’Sullivan, took their seats was loud and sustained.

Convention dictated that Fianna Fáilers had no choice but to join in with the ovation, but as they stood there applauding their foe they looked glum and sullen – like they knew they were clapping themselves out of Government.

The effort had been far too much for three of them as was pointed out by Fine Gael’s justice spokesman Charlie Flanagan during the Leader’s Questions which followed: “Three ministers are asleep! Look at them!” he wailed in mock disgust.

This seemed to startle the trio out of their slumbers, and Martin Mansergh and Éamon O Cuív did look like they’d just been shaken awake, the third alleged culprit, Martin Cullen, appeared unsure as to where he was or what was happening – but then he always looks like that.

The trio looked shame-faced as the melee exploded around them.

No chance of forty winks for Mr Lee, he appeared wired as his eyes darted across the unfamiliar surroundings, a huge, manic grin on his face.

His entrance had been reminiscent of a show pony at the fair as he was paraded around the horseshoe-shaped Dáil chamber.

Mr Lee entered the arena and then cantered down the steps with his handler at his side before doing a full lap of the floor, stopping briefly to be patted by his party leader, the Ceann Comhairle, and finally an Taoiseach, before being tethered to the back benches.

A strong-willed beast, he is unlikely to remain there for long before bolting for the shadow cabinet nose-bag.

Indeed, there must be some question as to whether Enda Kenny and his whips will be able to tame such a free spirit so used to running wild.

While he had been waiting in the upper paddock of the chamber before being led down the steps, Brian Cowen had appeared to be walking towards him, but at the last second he turned and headed down the stairs – clearly, given Mr Lee’s scepticism over his economic policies, the Taoiseach did not want to look a miffed horse in the mouth.

Mr Lee’s presence seemed to pump iron into Mr Kenny’s spine as he at one point squared up to the Taoiseach and said: “I challenge you on the floor of this house.” Thankfully, it was not an invitation to settle their differences with a man-wrestle or hand-to-hand combat, and dignity was maintained.

An increasingly tetchy Taoiseach was having none of the attacks however, and rejected opposition demands for a snap general election, insisting he was here for the long haul and would not cut and run.

In fact, his message was that he will just cut – cut healthcare and welfare at the third crisis budget in a year this autumn.

Mr Cowen appeared annoyed that the opposition never gave him any praise for his heroic efforts on the economy, all they did was offer negativity, he moaned.

To this Fine Gael shot back that at least negativity was a lesser crime than inflicting negative equity on the country as they said the Taoiseach had done.

This exchange just confirmed that Mr Cowen has indeed spent far too long in Government and forgotten what opposition is all about.

When Fianna Fáil was last on the wrong side of the House they ripped the unfortunate then justice minister Nora Owen apart like a pack of rabid attack dogs.

No minister would dare have fallen asleep with that lot on the prowl.