Taoiseach Brian Cowen has apologised for his radio interview performance yesterday morning which caused an international controversy.
The Taoiseach's shaky delivery on yesterday's Morning Ireland interview, conducted the morning after he attended the Fianna Fáil's dinner at the party's two-day conference at the Ardilaun Hotel in Galway, attracted global media attention.
Mr Cowen yesterday claimed that Irish politics had reached a “real new low” after the Fine Gael transport spokesman Simon Coveney suggested on Twitter that he sounded “sounded half way between drunk and hung-over” in the interview.
This evening, the Taoiseach apologised for his performance.
"I would like to make it very clear that there was no intention on my part whatever of any disrespect to the country or the people of Ireland," he told RTÉ's Six One News. "It wasn't my best interview due to the hoarseness in my voice, but it was prepared for over the weekend.
“I want to make it very clear that there was no basis for the assertions that were made by political opponents.”
Speaking at a press conference after the party meeting yesterday, the Taoiseach denied the claim and blamed his below-par radio performance on a "hoarseness" in his throat”. He said he stood over the “substance” of what he had to say in the interview.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Michael Martin admitted today he controversy was damaging for the country and lessons would have to be learned. “This is not good, the way it’s playing out, I acknowledge that,” Mr Martin said. “We clearly have to learn lessons from the entire event and how to move on.”
He said the Taoiseach will be “the first to realise the fall-out from all this”.
Other senior Fianna Fáil figures today rounded on Mr Coveney, blaming his “irresponsible” comment for the negative global attention it has generated.
Mr Coveney's tweet read: "God, what an uninspiring interview by Taoiseach this morning. He sounded half way between drunk and hungover and totally disinterested."
Speaking on his way into a Cabinet meeting at Government Buildings this morning, Government Chief Whip John Curran said the story only made global headlines because of the comments made by Mr Coveney. “I believe that they were irresponsible and I did ask at the time that he withdraw them because they were unfounded and untrue.”
Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern said the controversy was not caused by the Government. “It was caused by somebody tweeting, and unfortunately it got legs and it’s totally untrue and unfair to the man involved.”
Green Party Senator Dan Boyle told Cork’s 96FM the important thing when conducting an interview is whether "you are coherent or not . . . and I thought he was quite coherent”.
“I don’t think there was anything wrong with what he was saying. (But) we are living in an era of politics where the style is more important than the substance; what you sound like, what you look like,” he said.
A clearly-annoyed Taoiseach told a Fianna Fail press conference yesterday afternoon Mr Coveney’s comments were "very unfortunate".
"Simon Coveney is a person for whom I had some respect as a person and as a colleague,” Mr Cowen said. “I think it is an appalling and unfounded assertion that he has made. I dealt with the interview …, as I always would, and gave full and frank answers to the best of my ability. As I said, I have a hoarseness in my throat which I apologise for.”
Mr Coveney's comment was "obviously politically motivated and orchestrated" and was "pathetic and pitiful"," he said. “I’m very sorry that Deputy Coveney would resort to that sort of petty personality-type politics which I find disgraceful."
The Fine Gael frontbencher stood by his comment in a number of interviews yesterday and rejected suggestions they were politically motivated. "I was frustrated and angry after the Taoiseach's interview that he would treat the country the way his did this morning in the context of the interview," he told RTÉ Radio.
He later posted again on Twitter. “Seems like offering an honest comment on Taoiseach’s interview is now being described as a new low in politics,” he said.
The story was picked up by several news organisations around the globe. The BBC, New York Times, Washington Post, New York Daily News, Fox News, MSNBC and Spain's ABC all reported the Taoiseach's denial of being drunk or hungover.
However, French daily Le Monde stuck to economics and only reported the €3 billion Budget cuts mentioned in the interview.