SEANAD:FORMER RTÉ economics editor and Fine Gael election candidate George Lee was at the centre of verbal crossfire in the Seanad yesterday.

Terry Leyden (FF) said the Minister for Communications should come to the House to draw up protocols and procedures for those in senior positions in RTÉ whose salaries were funded from taxpayers’ money. “I pay my licence fee, but I am not doing so for George Lee to contest the byelection in Dublin South.”

Mr Leyden said he wanted a health warning attached to those in RTÉ. “He has undermined this Government over recent years. He is a Fine Gael man inside his striped shirt.”

Cathaoirleach Pat Moylan said he did not want any members suggesting that people outside the house were undermining the Government.

Mr Leyden: “It was biased reporting of the previous government that damaged this economy and this State.”

Liam Twomey (FG) said now that Mr Lee had left RTÉ, the public finances would be all correct.

Eugene Regan (FG) said that in yesterday’s edition of the The Irish Times, Vincent Browne had denigrated the entry of George Lee into politics. Mr Browne had had his chance to stand for Fine Gael in Dún Laoghaire, he said.

“He seems to have a chip on his shoulder about it because ultimately he withdrew from going down that road. It is wrong to trivialise politics in this way.”

Substantial money will have to be paid up front shortly to ensure Ireland is in the queue for a vaccine to combat swine flu, Minister for Health Mary Harney has told the House.

“Clearly in the current environment where every million is important, you take the view ‘do we have to do this now?’ and the answer is ‘yes’ because in the event of it being necessary it would be too late to start joining a queue.”