FINE GAEL and Labour have called on Brian Lenihan to spell out how he will protect the economy, following ad-libbed remarks about his misfortune on becoming Minister for Finance just as the building boom came to a "shuddering end".
Fine Gael deputy leader Richard Bruton and his Labour counterpart Joan Burton separately criticised what they described as Mr Lenihan's "gaffes' about the economy and corrupt politicians at a construction conference in Dublin Castle last Friday.
Ms Burton said that the comments were ill-judged and would be seized on by competitors from other countries.
Mr Lenihan was due to read from a prepared script but, according to reliable sources, departed from it because the tone of previous speakers had been light and conversational.
The Minister, who was addressing a symposium of about 300 builders from across Europe, described the history of Dublin Castle, including its current usage.
"In more recent years the tribunals who investigate corrupt politicians are located in these buildings as well," he said.
He later referred to the slowdown in the construction sector.
"We had a building boom going on in Ireland since the mid-1990s and I had the misfortune to become Minister for Finance a few weeks ago when the building boom was coming to a shuddering end.
"It's unfortunate for us now that this process of adjustment, which is a natural market process, has now coincided with an international credit squeeze. These are not happy factors to come into conjunction for any minister for finance," he said.
In the wake of his appearance, Mr Lenihan qualified his comments by pointing that there was strong underlying demand in housing that would facilitate the return of a sustainable level of growth.
