TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen has apologised for the radio performance that embarrassed his Government and generated negative international commentary. He went on television last night to say there had been no intention on his part to show disrespect to the country or the people of Ireland.
“It wasn’t my best performance and I would like to apologise for that,” said Mr Cowen.
The Taoiseach said he had heard how things were going yesterday and was told about the reaction at Cabinet. “It wasn’t my best interview having heard it again on tape, because of the hoarseness of my voice,” he said. “I just want to make it very clear there was no basis for the assertions that were made by political opponents about it,” he added, referring to an accusation he sounded “halfway between drunk and hung-over” during the RTÉ radio broadcast on Tuesday.
Mr Cowen said people should not take any suggestion of disrespect or casualness on his part: “I’ve always taken my role seriously and ensure that I perform my public duties properly.” He hoped the controversy would not damage his standing. “I would recognise that there are times when if something doesn’t go well that you have to acknowledge and be truthful about it. But, as I say, the assertions that were made subsequent to it were without justification, were without foundation, were not correct, were not true. And I would hate to think that the reputation of the country, or the office of Taoiseach would in any way be affected by what I had to say.”
Mr Cowen said he had told his Cabinet colleagues he was sorry there had been adverse publicity. “I’ll certainly make sure that something like that wouldn’t happen again.” He maintained his position was not under threat.
Fine Gael frontbench spokesman on transport Simon Coveney said he accepted what the Taoiseach said. “It takes a big person to apologise in the circumstances that the Taoiseach finds himself in and I totally accept what he has to say. Fair play to him.”
Mr Coveney said his comments on Twitter on Tuesday reflected what a lot of people were thinking. “I do accept what the Taoiseach is now saying in clarifying the position that he wasn’t drunk or hung-over. If he says that I believe him.”
Speaking in Brussels last night Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said: “If Brian Cowen says that he is sorry or whatever, what he should be saying is that he is sorry for his conduct as leader of a Government that has failed utterly to live up to its responsibilities.”
Before the apology, Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin accepted the episode had been damaging for the country: “We clearly have to learn lessons from the entire event and now move on.” Reflecting a level of unease among some Fianna Fail backbenchers, Dublin South East TD Chris Andrews used the social networking site Twitter to say Mr Cowen had questions to answer. He tweeted: “Cowen’s got questions to ans however majority of twitterland is hysterical and pathologically negative. Now I await hysterical reaction!”
