FIANNA FÁIL leader Micheál Martin last night apologised for adopting a Chinese accent at a technology industry meeting in Dublin yesterday morning.
During a meeting of the Dublin Web Summit, where he had been asked to outline his party’s innovation policy, Mr Martin recalled a trade mission to China and Ireland’s reputation there for hosting software companies.
“Whenever I met Chinese ministers or officials, particularly as enterprise minister, there was one sort of overriding refrain from them or demand. And they kept on saying to me, you Irish, very good at software. And they identified Ireland as a software centre,” he said.
His adoption of a foreign accent in making the remarks was widely criticised on Twitter and online forums and viewed on YouTube.
Mr Martin said last night he had been making a “serious point” but he should not have made the comment in the manner he did. “If anyone was in any way offended, I of course apologise.”