Tánaiste Mary Harney has disagreed with the Taoiseach's attack on former Aer Lingus executives in which he said they wanted to "steal the assets" and "shaft staff".
Ms Harney told the Dáil that Aer Lingus former chief executive Willie Walsh had done a "fantastic job" with the airline and she suggested Bertie Ahern may have intended to say "strip" rather than "steal".
Her comments came as Labour leader Pat Rabbitte demanded that Mr Ahern apologise in the House for his "outrageously defamatory statement" about the executives, and his "outrageous breach of privilege".
It was wrong to decide to sell Aer Lingus "for a pittance", but "to accuse somebody of seeking to steal it was a serious abuse of privilege for populist purposes and electoral gain", he said of Mr Ahern's remarks.
The matter was raised in the Dáil by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, who asked Ms Harney if she agreed with the Taoiseach's remarks to the House on Wednesday, suggesting the former directors "wanted to steal the assets for themselves through a management buy-out, shafting staff interests".
Mr Kenny said the Tánaiste often complimented Mr Walsh for the condition in which he left the company. Ms Harney replied: "I repeat that the former chief executive of Aer Lingus did a fantastic job." When Mr Kenny asked if she agreed Mr Walsh wanted to "steal" the airline's assets, the Tánaiste said: "It is not a perspective I share. The Taoiseach may have intended to use the word 'strip' instead of 'steal'."
Mr Rabbitte said it seemed "the Tánaiste thinks it is acceptable to strip the assets of a State company and the Taoiseach thinks it's acceptable to steal them" and that this "only compounds the insult".
Mr Rabbitte also criticised Ceann Comhairle Dr Rory O'Hanlon for not halting the Taoiseach's comments, and said no member of the Opposition would have "got away with what the Ceann Comhairle pretended not to hear". Leas Ceann Comhairle Seamus Pattison, who was in the chair, said there was a right of reply for anyone aggrieved.
Mr Rabbitte added that it "beggars belief" that one of the Taoiseach's colleagues would say on radio it was an "example of the Taoiseach praising the integrity of the former executives".
Green Party leader Trevor Sargent asked if the use of "steal" as "a noun rather than verb" reflected the Tánaiste's view; that Aer Lingus "was being sold for a pittance or was going for a song".
Socialist TD Joe Higgins (Dublin West) cited the "breathtaking hypocrisy" of the Taoiseach, who "while pretending to point out the greed of previous corporate executives who wanted to get their hands on the airline, is holding the door ajar for the corporate thieves, the biggest thieves in the international stock exchanges".
Sinn Féin's Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said: "The Taoiseach is at sea and cannot even properly prepare himself in terms of the language he is to employ."
