Welcome to the other side of the mic, Mr Lee

IT DAWNED on him pretty quickly.

The hysteria of the by-election victory, the rapturous welcome into the Dáil on Tuesday and the slew of microphones pointed at him wherever he goes.

But nothing would have prepared George Lee for the reality of life in Dáil Éireann and his debut speech to the chamber.

Afterwards, up stood his Mayo colleague Michael Ring, arms waving and voice booming. Fianna Fáil was like a football team doomed for relegation with nothing going right, Ring said.

Lee stared on, speechless. The Mayo man’s theatrics were Lee’s reward for fighting and winning the by-election.

In Ring’s noteworthy style he blew and blustered as quick as he could because his time was running out.

This was because Lee’s enthusiasm for getting his message across meant his seven-minute slot went on and on.

If his election victory revealed anything it was how much he loves to talk. And the Government’s motion of confidence was the perfect opportunity to get his thoughts on the record.

Three times Lee was reminded – by Noel O’Flynn who was chairing the debate – time was up.

But the new deputy had much more to say and carried on regardless. It was clear that had Lee had his way at RTÉ, the Six One News business bulletin would have gone on longer than Coronation Street.

But he enjoyed a rapt audience of fellow Fine Gael deputies and even the visiting leader of the Fianna Fáil party in the Seanad, Donie Cassidy.

Lee spoke about the message he had brought from the people of South Dublin who, along with wanting him as their representative, wanted Fianna Fáil and the Green Party out of office.

He said the coalition was based on an inter-party agreement and not the will of the people. His own resounding election victory was testament to that, he said.

“The mandate the Government claims it has is not real.”

He pointed at the three ministers who fell asleep during Tuesday’s leaders’ questions. Lee said that while they dosed, another 152 people were probably added to the dole queues.

He rubbished comparisons with the economic collapse of the 1980s and explained the balance of public sector debt and private sector debt – the world had changed and changed completely.

Lee had nice words for Taoiseach Brian Cowen, who had good intentions.

The pair knew each other from when the Taoiseach was Minister for Finance and Lee was critic in chief.

The former economics editor said he remembered the time and consideration the Taoiseach gave to addressing childcare costs and how he mulled over solutions for many nights.

But past glories were not enough to spare the Taoiseach from the new deputy’s soft-spoken ire.

He said he had no confidence in the Government’s ability to rule.

The Fine Gael team had turned out in force, packing the opposition benches.

Newly elected MEP Sean Kelly watched from the galleries. When Lee finished, the party erupted in applause.

A half hour later it was the turn of the other new deputy, independent Maureen O’Sullivan, to make her maiden speech.

The contrast was stark.

She was seated between fellow independents Finian McGrath and Joe Behan.

Just Sean Barrett sat in the Fine Gael benches in a near empty chamber.

She was succinct, stayed within her allotted time and when she was finished Sinn Féin’s Aengus O Snodaigh clapped.

She said she could not undermine the memory of her predecessor Tony Gregory by supporting a government which hit poor people to support bad banks.

Two new deputies made their debuts with two very different performances.