George Lee (journalist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Lee
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Lee in June 2009
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| Teachta Dála | |
| In office 6 June 2009 – 8 February 2010 |
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| Constituency | Dublin South |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 September 1962 Templeogue, Dublin, Ireland |
| Political party | Fine Gael (2009–2010) |
| Spouse | Mary Lee |
| Children | 2 |
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George Lee, born on September 27, 1962, is an Irish economist, journalist, and TV/radio presenter. He also used to be a politician. He has worked for RTÉ, Ireland's main public broadcaster, since 1992. Since 2019, he has been RTÉ News's Environment Correspondent. Before that, he was their Economics Editor in 1996.
In June 2009, Lee left RTÉ to become a Teachta Dála (TD), which is a member of the Irish parliament. He won a special election (called a by-election) for the Dublin South area. He was very popular and was sometimes called a "celebrity TD." However, after only nine months, on February 8, 2010, he resigned from politics. He said he felt he had "virtually no influence." He returned to RTÉ in May 2010. During his time at RTÉ News, he was named Irish Journalist of the Year. This was for finding out about a big problem where a bank was helping people avoid paying taxes and overcharging customers.
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George Lee's Early Life and Family
George Lee grew up in Templeogue, Dublin, as the seventh of eight children. His father was a mechanic, and his mother was a hairdresser. He went to Coláiste Éanna, a Christian Brothers' School in Ballyroan.
Lee studied at University College Dublin. He also earned a master's degree in Economics from the London School of Economics. There, he focused on how jobs and unemployment affect the economy. He is married to Mary Lee, and they have two children, Alison and Harry. They live in Cabinteely. George Lee was known for riding a Segway to work at RTÉ!
George Lee's Career in Media and Economics
George Lee started his career in the civil service at the Central Statistics Office. After two years, he began studying economics at University College Dublin.
Before he started working in broadcasting, he taught at NUI, Galway. He then worked as a journalist for The Sunday Business Post. Lee was also a Senior Economist at a company called Riada Stockbrokers. He also worked as an economist for other financial groups, including the Central Bank of Ireland.
Working at RTÉ
From 1992 to 2009, George Lee worked at RTÉ, Ireland's public broadcasting service. He became the Economics Editor for RTÉ in 1996. In 1998, he was named Irish Journalist of the Year, along with Charlie Bird. They won this award for revealing a big scandal at National Irish Bank. The bank was involved in tax evasion (not paying taxes they owed) and overcharging customers.
Lee also created and presented several TV shows. These included Moneybox, More To Do, Winds of Change, and Beyond the Berlin Wall. Many people saw him as an "economics guru" because of his knowledge. He even filmed a four-part series about the fall of the Berlin Wall in 2008, which aired on RTÉ One.
George Lee was so well-known that he was even made fun of in comedy shows. He was parodied in the 1990s TV comedy Bull Island and featured on RTÉ 2fm's Nob Nation.
George Lee's Time in Politics
On May 5, 2009, George Lee announced on RTÉ Radio 1 that he was leaving his job as Economics Editor at RTÉ. He said he wanted to become a politician for the Fine Gael party. He took a year off without pay from RTÉ. The next day, he was chosen as the Fine Gael candidate for the Dublin South by-election. He was the only person seeking the nomination.
On June 6, 2009, he was elected as a TD for Dublin South. He received more than half of the first votes. Because he was already famous from TV, he was called a "Celebrity TD."
In October 2009, a survey asked people who they might support for the 2011 presidential election. George Lee came in third place, showing how popular he was.
Why George Lee Resigned from Politics
On February 8, 2010, George Lee announced he was leaving the Fine Gael party and the Irish parliament. He explained that he felt he had "virtually no influence or input" in how the party made its economic plans. This was at a time when Ireland was facing big economic challenges.
Lee said it would have been wrong for him to pretend he was happy in the role. He felt he had to be honest with himself and the people who voted for him. He also mentioned that he had very little contact with the party's finance spokesperson.
Some people criticized Lee after he resigned. One senator suggested that money problems and the long hours of a politician might have been why he quit. However, Lee said that money had nothing to do with his decision to leave politics.
George Lee's Return to RTÉ
After leaving politics, George Lee decided to return to RTÉ. He had to wait a few months before he could go back. Exactly one year after he first left RTÉ, he returned on May 5, 2010. He worked as an advisor on the RTÉ business team.
He started presenting a show called Mind Your Business on RTÉ Radio 1 on Saturday mornings. Later, he took over another show called The Business on the same radio station. He also presented a TV version of The Business on RTÉ One.
Since June 27, 2019, George Lee has been the Environment Correspondent for RTÉ. This means he reports on news and issues related to the environment.
Images for kids
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Lee in June 2009
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Lee (right) with Eamon Ryan (left) and Déirdre de Búrca (centre) at the second Lisbon Treaty referendum.
