Leo Varadkar apologised for offensive comments he made to Fianna Fail leader Micheál Martin in the Dáil, comparing him to a priest sinning “behind the altar.”
The Taoiseach issued a grovelling apology following backlash from bishops, priests and politicians for his “cheap caricature.”
He said: “Look I said something in the heat of debate in the Dail.
“This is something that was said in the heat of a political debate, one that got quite bitter and personal on both sides.
“And a consequence of it, I offended people who I never intended to offend.
“I do apologise and I’m going to withdraw the remarks.”
During the exchange on questions about the cost of capital projects in the Dail on Wednesday, Mr Varadkar said Mr Martin reminded him of a sinning priest.
He said: “I am always amused and bemused that Deputy Martin likes to accuse me of being partisan and personal yet as is evidenced by his name-calling today, he is very capable of being partisan and personalised himself.
“He kind of reminds me of one of those parish priests who preaches from the altar telling us how to avoid sin while secretly going behind the altar and engaging in any amount of sin himself.”
Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan said the Taoiseach’s comments had “deeply offended” a lot of people.
He said: “I think they’re [comments] very hurtful, unfortunate comments.
“I would like to stand up for the 99% of priests across the country who are working hard and they’re loved by their parishioners and if any of them are listening in, I would like to say to them ‘well done’.”
He told RTE’s Today with Sean O’Rourke show that following a mass in Waterford on Wednesday, many ordinary people “expressed how deeply offended they were by the comments of our head of parliament”.
He added: “It’s unfortunate and it’s unfair and I just hope in the new Ireland… there will be true freedom of religious practice which includes freedom from such unjust comments”.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, when asked what the remarks meant, Mr Varadkar said he was “talking about the sin of hypocrisy” and said he wasn’t there to explain, only to apologise.
However, Independent TD Mattie McGrath has called on Mr Varadkar to make a public apology before the Dáil.
He said: “There are plenty of ways to call out the hypocrisy and political double standards of the Fianna Fail leader without resorting to this kind of cheap caricature and stereotype.
“It only highlights what many people feel about the Taoiseach, in that he appears to have no real sense of his political immaturity or the sheer childishness of his spin driven commentary.
“If he does not display the political and human cop-on to apologise then he is not really fit to lead-that much should be clear to all concerned.”
Mr Varadkar pointed out that his comments were “bad timing” ahead of his annual meeting with members of the Irish Faith Communities and Churches in Dublin Castle which took place yesterday(Thurs).
He added:“I have tremendous respect for priests, for the sacrifice that they give really in the lives that they lead and have tremendous respect for people of faith.
“It [the comment] didn’t come out the way I intended. Obviously the timing was not the best but intentions were good.”
