Michael O’Leary doubles down: ‘Teachers not the best people to deliver change’

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

Michael O’Leary has repeated controversial comments he made about teachers, arguing that they are not the best type of politicians to deliver change in Ireland.

The Ryanair boss said at an election event at the weekend, where he endorsed Enterprise Minister and Fine Gael TD Peter Burke, that teachers should not lead the country.

This prompted sharp criticism from teachers’ unions and political parties, while the Fine Gael leadership have attempted to distance themselves from the comments.

Mr O’Leary has since doubled down on his stance, telling Newstalk radio on Monday that there are “too many teachers in the Dáil”.

He said that he was making a “serious” point about the need for more diversity in the Dáil – and said there was a need for more business owners to become TDs.

The Ryanair chief also said that Minister for Media and Tourism Catherine Martin was “far better off back in the classroom”.

“This country is facing enormous challenges over the next decade, where the population is going to rise from five to six million people,” Mr O’Leary said.

“Now we need lots of teachers delivering excellent education in the classroom, but a Dáil where there is a striking surplus of teachers in the Dáil is not necessarily one that’s going to get things done.

“I want to see more people enter the Dáil from private enterprise, from the private sector, and that’s the energy we need if we’re going to fix the infrastructure challenges we face, and if we’re going to provide housing and infrastructure for a population of six million people.

“I think teachers do a great job in the classroom, but I’m not sure that teachers in the Dail are necessarily the best people to deliver the kind of change and enterprise we need.”

He cited Green Party ministers Catherine Martin and Roderic O’Gorman as two former teachers “who have clearly failed” in their roles.

“I’ll give you the example of Catherine Martin, for example, who’s the Minister for Tourism. She’s been Minister for Tourism for five years, and what has she delivered? A [passenger] cap at Dublin Airport.

“I think Catherine Martin will be far better off back in the classroom doing the valuable work that teachers do and as far away from the reins of government or making decisions, where I think she’s clearly failed.”

He said that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil had done “a great job” in government, while their coalition party colleagues the Green Party needed to be “weeded out” and the main opposition party Sinn Féin should be “ignored”.

“I think people should vote for Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, I think Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil should transfer to each other. I think nobody should vote for the Greens.”

Asked about Tánaiste and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, who was a former teacher, he said “there is an exception to every rule”.

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan, also speaking on Newstalk, said that Mr O’Leary dislikes the Green Party because “we deliver, but not what he wants”.

“The real question here, and this is an election issue, is: why is Fine Gael aligning themselves with Michael O’Leary in this way?” the former Green Party leader said.

Mr Ryan said it was a sign that the party wants to be “less ambitious on climate” which he said was “a mistake”.