Ministers defend Taoiseach's 'hoarse' and 'congested' delivery during radio interview

FIANNA FÁIL REACTION:TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen's delivery during a radio interview yesterday morning was described as "hoarse", "congested" and "groggy" by Fianna Fáil Ministers.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said he had "no difficulty" with the contents of Mr Cowen's interview with Cathal MacCoille on RTÉ Radio One's Morning Ireland, which was conducted at the Fianna Fáil think-in in Galway.

“I think from a content perspective, I’d no difficulty with the interview at all. Of course the Taoiseach was very hoarse during the interview and that was very self-evident and very clear. But it seems to me that that’s what the issue now seems to be about, that the Taoiseach was hoarse,” Mr Martin said.

“The actual contents, and if you look through the interview, there’s no great difference from interviews that people have done from time to time on those very specific issues.”

Mr Martin said he was very surprised at Fine Gael TD Simon Coveney, who described the interview as “uninspiring” and referred to Mr Cowen as sounding “halfway between drunk and hungover and totally disinterested” on social networking website Twitter.

Mr Martin said he “would have expected better” from Mr Coveney.

Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport Mary Hanafin said Mr Cowen had a “sinus issue” and complained that the focus was on Mr Cowen’s style of delivery rather than the substance.

Ms Hanafin told RTÉ Radio One’s News at One programme she read the transcript of the interview and listened to it on radio, and insisted Mr Cowen delivered “clear and coherent” answers.

“What is happening here is a man is being knocked because he was hoarse and groggy and congested early in the morning, which does happen an awful lot of people, particularly to the first person to whom you are speaking in the morning, but the substance of the answers cannot be faulted,” Ms Hanafin said.

Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey said anyone who heard the interview would be “quite satisfied that the Taoiseach dealt with all of the serious questions that we have facing this country”.

Mr Dempsey said there was a social element to political party think-ins and everyone was entitled to “some socialisation ” in the evening.

Minister for Defence Tony Killeen pointed to the fact that the interview was not conducted in a studio. He said people might not have realised that the interview took place in “a corner of the restaurant in the hotel where people at tables very close by were having their breakfast, clattering knives and forks and teapots and all kinds of stuff”.

Mr Killeen claimed the background noise “in the so-called studio” was “very distracting and was a factor”. He added he did not think anybody could fault the Taoiseach in relation to the manner in which he got his message across.

Minister of State for Education and Skills Seán Haughey said what Mr Cowen said was extremely important, insisting he had laid out what needed to be done to get the economy growing again.

“Apparently he did sound a bit groggy, but I understand he has a cold so I really don’t think that’s an issue,” he said.

Minister of State for Europe Dick Roche said he had breakfast with Mr Cowen yesterday morning and “saw no evidence of a man who was anything but clear and coherent”. He also criticised Mr Coveney, “who set this particular ball rolling”.

A Green Party spokesman said: “The Taoiseach has dealt with this issue. We need to get on with the work in hand and deal with the challenges that face us.”

The defence: what they said

Mary Hanafin:"a man is being knocked because he was hoarse"

Tony Killeen:background noise was "very distracting"

Sean Haughey:"I understand he has a cold"