THE TAOISEACH, Brian Cowen, has expressed regret for any offence caused by his use of an expletive that was inadvertently picked up by broadcast microphones in the Dáil.
A spokesman for the Taoiseach strongly denied the comments referring to "those f***ers" were directed at Fine Gael or at any members of the Opposition.
Mr Cowen made the profane remark yesterday in an aside to Tánaiste Mary Coughlan at the conclusion of Leaders' Questions, which were marked by heated exchanges between the Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny.
He had just completed his response to a question put by Labour leader Eamon Gilmore, who queried price increases in food, consumer goods and diesel. Mr Gilmore had argued that the National Consumer Agency (NCA) and other bodies had failed to intervene.
As Ms Coughlan, the Minister for Enterprise, stood to leave the chamber Mr Cowen spoke to her. Their brief conversation included the comments: "Ring those people and get a handle on it, will you? Bring in all those f***ers."
The comments did not appear on the Dáil record, giving credence to Mr Cowen's assertion that they were made during the course of a private conversation.
However, in a detailed statement last night, the Taoiseach expressed regret for his use of language. "This was a casual exchange between working colleagues inadvertently and partially picked up by the Dáil microphone. In that context, the Taoiseach regrets any offence caused by the word complained off," a Government spokesman said.
He also maintained the comments had not referred to any TD or political party, or to the NCA individually. The reference, he said, was to all bodies - including Government departments, the NCA, oil companies, supermarkets and agencies - who could explain price increases, or price disparities between Ireland and the UK.
The statement was issued as the Government sought to draw a line under a growing controversy and to clear confusion as to whom the remarks were directed at. The expletive came to public attention at lunchtime yesterday when they were broadcast on RTÉ radio. Initially, the Opposition assumed they referred to Fine Gael TDs who had been involved in angry scenes with the Taoiseach during the early stages of Leaders' Questions.
Mr Cowen had clashed with Mr Kenny and with the party's health spokesman Dr James Reilly during a row over the funding of palliative care and mental disability services. In a series of exchanges, Mr Cowen said he could organise matters so that Government TDs could be "roaring and shouting" every time Dr Reilly spoke.
Mr Kenny replied: "The Taoiseach will not silence the people on this side of the House. I am not going to take that from any member of this House." Mr Cowen responded: "I will not be shouted down by the orchestrated tactic engaged in by the Opposition for months."
Yesterday afternoon, Fine Gael TD Dan Neville said Mr Cowen's use of unparliamentary language was a direct attack on the main Opposition party. "His intolerance for being asked difficult questions was captured by his audible aside to his Tánaiste in which he described his Fine Gael opponents as 'f***ers'."
Later Mr Kenny accused the Taoiseach of "conduct unbecoming" and of "bullying tactics".
Speaking at an event in Dublin, he said: "These words were uttered by the Taoiseach in the Dáil this morning. It's certainly not the approach you would expect from the prime minister of the country."
But the Government said Mr Neville's statement was a mischievous attempt to gain "cheap political headlines". A spokesman said: "It wrongly assumes that a reference is made to his party. This is simply untrue.
"[The Taoiseach] did not refer to any member of the House. It should also be made clear that the Taoiseach's remarks were not made on the Dáil record," he noted.
An NCA spokeswoman last night said it had no comment to make on the Taoiseach's remarks or expletive.
