Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is still facing Opposition demands that he make a formal apology to former Aer Lingus executives, even though he said yesterday that he regretted using the word "steal".
On Wednesday, Mr Ahern said in the Dáil that the airline's former management team, led by Willie Walsh, had "wanted to steal the assets for themselves through a management buyout, shafting staff interests. I am glad those individuals went on to prove their worth in the financial marketplace but at least they did not do it by taking the assets away from Aer Lingus," he said.
In the face of a demand from Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny to withdraw the charge or else face a formal complaint under Oireachtas rules, Mr Ahern was yesterday prepared to make only a partial withdrawal.
"The only thing I regret about that is the use of the word 'steal'. I did not mean 'steal' in that context, as if Willie Walsh and I were in some war. We're not.
"But the point that got lost, as always, is that Pat Rabbitte was making the point that privatisation was terrible, but a management buyout was all right. I don't withdraw anything I said about that," Mr Ahern said in Dublin yesterday.
His move was not enough to satisfy Mr Kenny, who demanded the Taoiseach make a formal apology in the Dáil to Mr Walsh and two former colleagues, Brian Dunne and Séamus Kearney.
Last night, Mr Kenny said: "The Taoiseach has seriously damaged the professional reputation of Willie Walsh with his outrageous comments in the Dáil this week. For once there was no ambiguity in the Taoiseach's comments. The Taoiseach should now come into the Dáil where the original comments were made and withdraw the remarks and apologise unreservedly. If he fails to do so, I intend to refer the matter to the Committee on Procedures and Privileges."
