The victory of George Lee was an historic day for Fine Gael, party leader Enda Kenny told The Irish Timestoday at the election count in the RDS.
“It’s a spectacular victory for George Lee. The people have endorsed him in a magnificent way,” he said.
“For Fine Gael, it endorses our own message of the last six months, that people out there were voting for change. That’s what they voted for in Dublin South. That’s what they voted for around the country.
“In that sense, it’s a historic day for Fine Gael. It’s the first time we’ve ever outpolled Fianna Fail in any election: the highest vote in this election and the largest number of seats. That’s comforting certainly for our own supporters, they’ve never been on this ground before.”
He was personally, “absolutely delighted” to see Mr Lee joining the Fine Gael parliamentary party.
“Not only that, but his decision to join Fine Gael has opened a floodgate of people out there in public and in private life who are sending in their ideas and their views about how we could change things around in so many different areas and that level of expertise and experience [being] available to Fine Gael is wonderful,” Mr Kenny said.
In his victory speech after the declaration, Mr Lee said: “I would like to thank my two constituency colleagues, Olivia Mitchell and Alan Shatter. They have been invaluable in terms of their support.”
He added: “I also want to thank the Fine Gael party for taking me in because, five weeks ago, I knew how I felt and I knew I was going to ask them to allow me to join them.”
Mr Lee said he would be staying in the Dublin South constituency.
“I’m ready to take the next step and as far as I’m concerned it is time to do what I said I was going to do, which was to put my shoulder to the wheel and help make the economy and our society better,” Mr Lee said.
Later the Fine Gael leader said he would be moving a motion of no confidence in the Government in the Dáil on Tuesday.
“The Fine Gael party has won this election. The people have voted for us, and this now makes us the largest party with the largest number of seats,” Mr Kenny said.
He said the Government neither had the credibility nor the authority or mandate to continue in office.
“That’s why next Tuesday I will move a motion of no confidence in this Government,” he said.
The Fine Gael chief called on all Dáil deputies to consider the mandate given to them by the people.
