Leo Varadkar has finally broken his silence on the Katherine Zappone party controversy, conceding he "may have let his guard down."
The Tánaiste had admitted previously to being one of the VIP guests at the garden party in the Merrion Hotel hosted by a former ministerial colleague of his, Katherine Zappone, on July 21st last.
The news infuriated the hospitality sector who had been operating in line with Fáilte Ireland guidelines that put a limit of six adults per party on gatherings.
Pressure has been mounting on Mr Varadkar to “come out of hiding” all week and make a public comment on the affair.
Speaking on Friday, he said he wanted to express his regret for attending the event, before offering a apology to both the public and hospitality industry.
"I want to say sorry to the hospitality sector in particular," he said.
“They’re struggling to get open again and it doesn’t help them that the guidelines are unclear at times, and also to any members of the public who are confused at times because I know everyone, most people, try to stick to the rules and when there’s confusion about them that makes it harder for people."
The Tánaiste added: “I do want to say very clearly and state this very clearly that the event was not in breach of the Government regulations at the time which allowed for outdoor gatherings of over 200, and probably wasn’t in breach of the Fáilte guidelines.”
He said he accepts that the guidelines were ambiguous and confusing.
There was no live music at the event in question, according to the Tanaiste.
Speaking to RTE News, he said that guidelines have been updated twice since the Merrion controversy, but insisted this was not because of the event.
Mr Varadkar said he hopes he didn't undermine public health advice, admitting that he "may have let his guard down."
He said he triple-checked that he wouldn't be breaking regulations before attending.
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