George Lee (journalist)
Encyclopedia
George Lee is an Irish
economist, journalist, television and radio presenter, and former Fine Gael
politician. He worked for RTÉ
from 1992 to 2009. He was appointed Economics Editor in 1996. During his time in RTÉ News and Current Affairs he was named Irish Journalist of the Year for uncovering a major tax evasion
and overcharging scandal at National Irish Bank
. He has also presented many documentary programmes for RTÉ.
Lee became a Teachta Dála
(TD) for the Dublin South
constituency in June 2009, winning a by-election with a 53.4% majority and was referred to as a "celebrity TD". On 8 February 2010 Lee announced his resignation both from Fine Gael and from Dáil Éireann
, having spent nine months in politics. His reasoning was that he had "virtually no influence or input". He returned to RTÉ in May 2010, and presented Mind Your Business, followed by The Business on RTÉ Radio 1
from 2010.
, Dublin. He attended Coláiste Éanna
, a Christian Brothers' School in the Dublin suburb of Ballyroan
. Lee is a graduate of University College Dublin
and holds an MSc
in Economics from the London School of Economics
where his specialist area was labour economics and unemployment.
He is married to Mary Lee (née Kitson), they have two children, Alison and Harry, and lives in Cabinteely
. Lee famously travelled to work in RTÉ via Segway
, once giving it a test ride live on Tubridy Tonight
.
as an executive officer in the Central Statistics Office
. Two years later he started at University College Dublin where he studied economics under academics such as Brendan Walsh and Peter Neary.
Prior to his move into broadcasting, he lectured in NUI, Galway
and then worked as a journalist with The Sunday Business Post
. Lee was also a Senior Economist at Riada Stockbrokers. He also worked as Treasury Economist with FTI and as a research economist with the Central Bank of Ireland
.
From 1992 to 2009, he worked in RTÉ
, the public broadcasting service of Ireland
. He was appointed Economics Editor with RTÉ in 1996. Lee was named Irish Journalist of the Year, along with Charlie Bird
, in 1998 after they uncovered a major tax evasion
and overcharging scandal at National Irish Bank
. He has devised, researched and presented several television series, including Moneybox, More To Do, Winds of Change, and Beyond the Berlin Wall. He is thought of as an "economics guru". He left RTÉ "in the late 1990s" to work for BCP Stockbrokers. He left the job and returned to his RTÉ post the next day.
Before embarking on his political career, he filmed a four-part series based on the fall of the Berlin Wall
in 2008. It was aired on RTÉ One
in November 2009.
George Lee was parodied in the 1990s comedy Bull Island
, where he was seen "menacingly staring down the lens of a camera", and has also been featured on RTÉ 2fm
's Nob Nation
.
on RTÉ Radio 1
, Lee announced that he was resigning as Economic Editor with RTÉ and announced his intention to seek the Fine Gael
nomination for the Dublin South
by-election in 2009. Lee took a years unpaid leave from RTÉ in May 2009. On 6 May 2009, Lee was chosen as the Fine Gael candidate for the by-election. He was the only candidate for the nomination.
He was elected on the first count to represent Dublin South on 6 June 2009. He received over 53% of the 1st preference vote. In total he received 27,768 1st preference votes. His RTÉ position was filled by Europe editor Sean Whelan
, but only as correspondent. Instead, David Murphy was promoted to Business Editor. When elected, Lee was referred to as a "Celebrity TD".
In poll, concerning support for possible candidates in the 2011 presidential election conducted by the Sunday Independent
in October 2009, Lee came third, receiving 12% support, in front of former Taoiseach
Bertie Ahern
among other high-profile politicians.
Lee highlighted the failure of EMPG
the holding company for US publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and the potential impact on the Irish taxpayers given loans by Anglo Irish Bank
to the investors in EMPG on 13 January 2010. Lee saw this as another example for the urgent need of an investigation into the Irish banking crisis.
and told him of his intention to resign. Kenny then offered Lee the frontbench position as spokesman on economic planning. Speaking to reporters outside Leinster House
soon after his announcement, Lee said it would have been dishonest of him to accept the position: "I had absolutely no input for nine months. I think I had to be honest with myself and honest with the electorate about that and not pretend." Asked if his resignation was a vote of no confidence in Kenny, Lee said there were "certainly lots of large mutterings at the moment in relation to the leader's position". He said he had "minimal involvement" with Fine Gael finance spokesman Richard Bruton
. "I had a maximum of two or three conversations with Richard Bruton in a total nine months period. I don’t know how my relationship is with [him]" Lee said.
Kenny noted Lee had been appointed chair of the party's committee on economic policy and also its forum. "I had anticipated a very important role for [George Lee] in the coming period with Fine Gael." Kenny's spokesman later dismissed the proposition that the resignation had implications for his leadership. He cited the public endorsement of Kenny by 20 Dáil deputies over the course of the weekend. Former Fine Gael leader Michael Noonan
said he was surprised at the decision: "I thought that George Lee was fitting in well", adding that he believed he would have been a cabinet member in a Fine Gael led government.
George Lee was criticised after his resignation by Senator Eoghan Harris
, who was speaking on the Lunchtime programme of Newstalk Radio. Harris suggested financial considerations and long working hours of politicians were the reasons why Lee resigned. Fine Gael TD Brian Hayes
, who was Lee's campaign manager in the Dublin South by-election, said that in discussions with Lee, the latter had complained about "a major reduction in his income" since leaving RTÉ to become a Dáil backbencher. Lee denied that financial considerations had anything to do with his decision to quit politics.
said on 14 February 2010 that he would have to wait for three months before returning to RTÉ. Exactly a year after his resignation from RTÉ, he returned to the broadcaster on 5 May 2010. He will work as an advisor on the RTÉ business desk. He presented Mind Your Business on RTÉ Radio 1
on Saturday Mornings as a summer replacement for The Business. When John Murray
moved to present his own programme, Lee took over The Business slot on 4 September 2010.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
economist, journalist, television and radio presenter, and former Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
politician. He worked for RTÉ
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
from 1992 to 2009. He was appointed Economics Editor in 1996. During his time in RTÉ News and Current Affairs he was named Irish Journalist of the Year for uncovering a major tax evasion
Tax avoidance and tax evasion
Tax noncompliance describes a range of activities that are unfavorable to a state's tax system. These include tax avoidance, which refers to reducing taxes by legal means, and tax evasion which refers to the criminal non-payment of tax liabilities....
and overcharging scandal at National Irish Bank
National Irish Bank
National Irish Bank is a commercial bank in Ireland, one of the traditional Big Four. In December 2004 Danske Bank agreed to purchase National Irish Bank from the National Australia Bank for GB£967m ....
. He has also presented many documentary programmes for RTÉ.
Lee became a Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
(TD) for the Dublin South
Dublin South (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dublin South is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 5 deputies...
constituency in June 2009, winning a by-election with a 53.4% majority and was referred to as a "celebrity TD". On 8 February 2010 Lee announced his resignation both from Fine Gael and from Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
, having spent nine months in politics. His reasoning was that he had "virtually no influence or input". He returned to RTÉ in May 2010, and presented Mind Your Business, followed by The Business on RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1 is the principal radio channel of Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926...
from 2010.
Early and personal life
Lee's father was a motor mechanic and his mother was a hairdresser. Lee was the seventh in a family of eight children and grew up in TempleogueTempleogue
Templeogue is a suburb of southwest Dublin, Ireland. The original Irish name Teach Mealóg refers to a chapel named after Saint Mel that was built there in about 1273....
, Dublin. He attended Coláiste Éanna
Coláiste Éanna
Coláiste Éanna CBS is a Catholic Secondary School for boys in Ballyroan, County Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1967 by the Christian Brothers, to serve the needs of Ballyroan and adjacent parishes. It now has over 500 pupils, and a staff of around 50....
, a Christian Brothers' School in the Dublin suburb of Ballyroan
Ballyroan, County Dublin
Ballyroan is a suburb in Rathfarnham, County Dublin in Ireland. It lies at the foot of the Dublin mountains, alongside Ballyboden, Butterfield, Knocklyon, Old Orchard, and Scholarstown...
. Lee is a graduate of University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
and holds an MSc
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in Economics from the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
where his specialist area was labour economics and unemployment.
He is married to Mary Lee (née Kitson), they have two children, Alison and Harry, and lives in Cabinteely
Cabinteely
Cabinteely is a south-eastern suburb of Dublin in Ireland, in the administrative county of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown.-History:There is a prehistoric burial tomb known as Brennanstown Portal Tomb, Glendruid cromlech/dolmen, or The Druids’ Altar near Cabinteely....
. Lee famously travelled to work in RTÉ via Segway
Segway PT
The Segway PT is a two-wheeled, self-balancing transportation machine invented by Dean Kamen. It is produced by Segway Inc. of New Hampshire, USA. The name "Segway" is a homophone of "segue" while "PT" denotes personal transporter....
, once giving it a test ride live on Tubridy Tonight
Tubridy Tonight
Tubridy Tonight is an Irish chat show hosted by Ryan Tubridy that aired for five series on RTÉ One between 2004 and 2009. The programme featured guest interviews , audience participation and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
.
Career
Lee joined the civil serviceCivil service of the Republic of Ireland
The Civil Service of Ireland is the collective term for the permanent staff of the Departments of State and certain State Agencies who advise and work for the Government of Ireland. It consists of two broad components, the Civil Service of the Government and the Civil Service of the State...
as an executive officer in the Central Statistics Office
Central Statistics Office (Ireland)
The Central Statistics Office is the statistical agency responsible for the gathering of "information relating to economic, social and general activities and conditions" in Ireland, in particular the National Census which is held every five years. The office is answerable to the Taoiseach and has...
. Two years later he started at University College Dublin where he studied economics under academics such as Brendan Walsh and Peter Neary.
Prior to his move into broadcasting, he lectured in NUI, Galway
National University of Ireland, Galway
The National University of Ireland, Galway is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland...
and then worked as a journalist with The Sunday Business Post
The Sunday Business Post
The Sunday Business Post is an Irish national Sunday newspaper published by Post Publications Limited. Post Publications is owned by Thomas Crosbie Holdings. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, Ireland, the average weekly circulation was 57,783 for the period January to June 2009. The...
. Lee was also a Senior Economist at Riada Stockbrokers. He also worked as Treasury Economist with FTI and as a research economist with the Central Bank of Ireland
Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland
The Central Bank of Ireland is the financial services regulator of Ireland and historically the central bank. The bank was the issuer of Irish pound banknotes and coinage until the introduction of the euro currency, and now provides this service for the European Central Bank.The bank was founded...
.
From 1992 to 2009, he worked in RTÉ
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
, the public broadcasting service of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. He was appointed Economics Editor with RTÉ in 1996. Lee was named Irish Journalist of the Year, along with Charlie Bird
Charlie Bird
Charles "Charlie" Bird is an Irish journalist and broadcaster. He was Chief News Correspondent with RTÉ News and Current Affairs until January 2009. He took up the role of Washington Correspondent, but prematurely returned to his earlier post in Ireland in June 2010.-Early life:Bird was born in...
, in 1998 after they uncovered a major tax evasion
Tax avoidance and tax evasion
Tax noncompliance describes a range of activities that are unfavorable to a state's tax system. These include tax avoidance, which refers to reducing taxes by legal means, and tax evasion which refers to the criminal non-payment of tax liabilities....
and overcharging scandal at National Irish Bank
National Irish Bank
National Irish Bank is a commercial bank in Ireland, one of the traditional Big Four. In December 2004 Danske Bank agreed to purchase National Irish Bank from the National Australia Bank for GB£967m ....
. He has devised, researched and presented several television series, including Moneybox, More To Do, Winds of Change, and Beyond the Berlin Wall. He is thought of as an "economics guru". He left RTÉ "in the late 1990s" to work for BCP Stockbrokers. He left the job and returned to his RTÉ post the next day.
Before embarking on his political career, he filmed a four-part series based on the fall of the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
in 2008. It was aired on RTÉ One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
in November 2009.
George Lee was parodied in the 1990s comedy Bull Island
Bull Island (TV show)
Bull Island was an Irish television and radio satirical comedy show broadcast on RTÉ One and later on RTÉ Radio 1 from 1999 until 2001.Featuring a cast of seven Irish comedians and impressionists, the show, which aired for half an hour weekly, satirised many aspects of Irish life.Bull Island was...
, where he was seen "menacingly staring down the lens of a camera", and has also been featured on RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.- History :...
's Nob Nation
Nob Nation
Nob Nation is the title of a series of topical comedy pieces broadcast since November 2006 on two national radio stations in Ireland, RTÉ 2fm and RTÉ Radio 1. The programmes are broadcast Monday through Saturday each week...
.
Political career
On 5 May 2009 on the News at OneRTÉ News at One
RTÉ News at One is a news and current affairs programme broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1. It airs Monday to Friday for 45 minutes at 13:00.The programme is presented by Sean O'Rourke. Dr Gavin Jennings presents on an intermittent basis....
on RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1 is the principal radio channel of Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926...
, Lee announced that he was resigning as Economic Editor with RTÉ and announced his intention to seek the Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
nomination for the Dublin South
Dublin South (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dublin South is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 5 deputies...
by-election in 2009. Lee took a years unpaid leave from RTÉ in May 2009. On 6 May 2009, Lee was chosen as the Fine Gael candidate for the by-election. He was the only candidate for the nomination.
He was elected on the first count to represent Dublin South on 6 June 2009. He received over 53% of the 1st preference vote. In total he received 27,768 1st preference votes. His RTÉ position was filled by Europe editor Sean Whelan
Sean Whelan
Sean Whelan is an Irish journalist. He is a former Europe Editor for RTÉ News and Current Affairs. He is currently Economics Correspondent with RTÉ.He graduated from University College Dublin with a degree in History and Politics...
, but only as correspondent. Instead, David Murphy was promoted to Business Editor. When elected, Lee was referred to as a "Celebrity TD".
In poll, concerning support for possible candidates in the 2011 presidential election conducted by the Sunday Independent
Sunday Independent
The Sunday Independent is a broadsheet Sunday newspaper published in Ireland by Independent News and Media plc. The newspaper is edited by Aengus Fanning, and is the biggest selling Irish Sunday newspaper by a large margin ; average circulation of 291,323 between June 2004 and January 2005,...
in October 2009, Lee came third, receiving 12% support, in front of former Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Bertie Ahern
Bertie Ahern
Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008....
among other high-profile politicians.
Lee highlighted the failure of EMPG
EMPG
Education Media and Publishing Group, more commonly known as EMPG, is a holding company registered in the Cayman Islands with no operating subsidiaries. It also has a minority interest in an affiliate that focuses on markets outside the USA called EMPGI...
the holding company for US publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and the potential impact on the Irish taxpayers given loans by Anglo Irish Bank
Anglo Irish Bank
Anglo Irish Bank was a bank based in Ireland with its headquarters in Dublin from 1964 to 2011. It went into wind-down mode after nationalisation in 2009....
to the investors in EMPG on 13 January 2010. Lee saw this as another example for the urgent need of an investigation into the Irish banking crisis.
Resignation from politics
On 8 February 2010, he announced his resignation from Fine Gael and from Dáil Éireann, due to having "virtually no influence or input" into shaping Fine Gael's economic policies at a time of economic upheaval. It emerged that on 2 February, Lee met with the Fine Gael leader, Enda KennyEnda Kenny
Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since...
and told him of his intention to resign. Kenny then offered Lee the frontbench position as spokesman on economic planning. Speaking to reporters outside Leinster House
Leinster House
Leinster House is the name of the building housing the Oireachtas, the national parliament of Ireland.Leinster House was originally the ducal palace of the Dukes of Leinster. Since 1922, it is a complex of buildings, of which the former ducal palace is the core, which house Oireachtas Éireann, its...
soon after his announcement, Lee said it would have been dishonest of him to accept the position: "I had absolutely no input for nine months. I think I had to be honest with myself and honest with the electorate about that and not pretend." Asked if his resignation was a vote of no confidence in Kenny, Lee said there were "certainly lots of large mutterings at the moment in relation to the leader's position". He said he had "minimal involvement" with Fine Gael finance spokesman Richard Bruton
Richard Bruton
Richard Bruton is an Irish Fine Gael politician and has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin North Central constituency since 1982. He was appointed as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on 9 March 2011...
. "I had a maximum of two or three conversations with Richard Bruton in a total nine months period. I don’t know how my relationship is with [him]" Lee said.
Kenny noted Lee had been appointed chair of the party's committee on economic policy and also its forum. "I had anticipated a very important role for [George Lee] in the coming period with Fine Gael." Kenny's spokesman later dismissed the proposition that the resignation had implications for his leadership. He cited the public endorsement of Kenny by 20 Dáil deputies over the course of the weekend. Former Fine Gael leader Michael Noonan
Michael Noonan
Michael Noonan is an Irish Fine Gael politician and has been the Minister for Finance since March 2011. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Limerick East and later Limerick City constituencies since 1981....
said he was surprised at the decision: "I thought that George Lee was fitting in well", adding that he believed he would have been a cabinet member in a Fine Gael led government.
George Lee was criticised after his resignation by Senator Eoghan Harris
Eoghan Harris
Eoghan Harris is an Irish journalist, fiction writer, director, columnist and politician. He currently writes for the Sunday Independent. He was a member of Seanad Éireann from 2007–11, having been nominated by the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern....
, who was speaking on the Lunchtime programme of Newstalk Radio. Harris suggested financial considerations and long working hours of politicians were the reasons why Lee resigned. Fine Gael TD Brian Hayes
Brian Hayes (politician)
Brian Hayes is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South West constituency and also the Minister of State at the Department of Finance.-Early life:...
, who was Lee's campaign manager in the Dublin South by-election, said that in discussions with Lee, the latter had complained about "a major reduction in his income" since leaving RTÉ to become a Dáil backbencher. Lee denied that financial considerations had anything to do with his decision to quit politics.
Return to RTÉ
RTÉ received a letter from Lee confirming his intentions to return after his leave of absence. The Sunday TribuneSunday Tribune
The Sunday Tribune was an Irish Sunday broadsheet newspaper published by Tribune Newspapers plc. It was edited in its final years by Nóirín Hegarty, who changed both the tone and the physical format of the newspaper from broadsheet to tabloid. Former editors include Conor Brady, Vincent Browne,...
said on 14 February 2010 that he would have to wait for three months before returning to RTÉ. Exactly a year after his resignation from RTÉ, he returned to the broadcaster on 5 May 2010. He will work as an advisor on the RTÉ business desk. He presented Mind Your Business on RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1 is the principal radio channel of Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926...
on Saturday Mornings as a summer replacement for The Business. When John Murray
John Murray (broadcaster)
John Murray is an Irish journalist and broadcaster. He currently presents The John Murray Show on RTÉ Radio 1, "focus[ing] on lifestyle and entertainment items", filling the slot from 09:00 to 10:00 previously occupied by Ryan Tubridy, who moved to RTÉ 2fm....
moved to present his own programme, Lee took over The Business slot on 4 September 2010.