Taoiseach apologises for 'suicide' remarks in speech

The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has apologised for remarks in which he said that he did not know why people who moaned and complained about the economy did not commit suicide.

Mr Ahern made the comments yesterday when he departed from his prepared script while addressing the biennial delegate conference of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) in Bundoran, Co Donegal.

In his off-the-cuff remarks at the end of a 35-minute address the Taoiseach criticised people who were negative and who talked down the economy.

He added: "Sitting on the sideline or on the fence, cribbing and moaning, is a lost opportunity. In fact I do not know how people who engage in that don't commit suicide.

"The only thing that motivates me is being able to actually change something," he said.

Mr Ahern's remarks were initially greeted by some laughter and applause from the 600-plus delegates at the conference.

However the comments were strongly criticised later by groups representing those affected by suicide.

Questioned about the comments by reporters after the address, Mr Ahern said it had been "a bad choice of words".

"I am very involved with the suicide action group and apologise if I said it that way. I used it as an example of people who are always against things but I did not mean it that way ," he said.

He said that he did not mind "naysayers" if there was a fair issue involved. But trying to say there is a problem with the economy when in the first quarter it grew by 7 per cent, and employment is strong and investment is very strong, is an unfair analysis," he said.

Mr Ahern said he had heard somebody saying earlier in the week that house prices might drop 60 per cent.

"Where is that analysis coming from, there is nobody in the wide world saying that," he said.

Mr Ahern's controversial comments came at the end of his 35-minute address to the conference.

Earlier in his speech he had attacked critics of social partnership and those who suggested the recent economic success was an illusion.

However, departing from his prepared text Mr Ahern then went on to criticise those who were consistently negative in their comments and commentary.

"I do not share the analysis that around every report and around every issue no matter whether it is on page one or page 999 that that should be the headline.

"That we should get up every day and try to talk ourselves down. That we should every day (and) almost be hoping that we should find some banana skin and that every day, if there is something bad, then we should all be happier.

"I work from the other basis, I work from a country where people are fully working, where children are getting a good education where we can have affordable housing, where people can get their annual holiday, where we have a good health service, where we have a good welfare service and where we can all do something about that," he said.