Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary Sparks Backlash with Remarks on Teachers During Fine Gael Campaign
Dublin: Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has stirred controversy for comments he made about teachers during Fine Gael candidate Peter Burke’s election campaign, placing the party in a challenging position. O’Leary’s remarks, which suggested teachers should not serve in the Dáil, were widely condemned by political parties, teachers’ unions, and educational representatives across Ireland. While campaigning for Burke, Fine Gael’s candidate in Westmeath, O’Leary argued that Ireland’s parliament is “too full of teachers” and emphasised that figures like Burke are essential for representation. Burke, however, immediately distanced himself from O’Leary’s statements following public backlash.
The controversy intensified when O’Leary also criticised the Green Party, urging voters not to support them due to policies affecting passenger control at Dublin Airport, and expressed disapproval of Sinn Féin’s alignment with left-wing parties.
Garry Gannon, the Social Democrats’ education spokesperson, was one of the first to denounce O’Leary’s remarks. Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, himself a former teacher, called the comments “insulting” to the teaching profession and Irish society at large. Labour leader Ivana Bacik and teachers’ unions, including the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO), the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI), and the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI), also condemned the statements. John Boyle, INTO’s General Secretary, criticised O’Leary’s comments as “outrageous” and an affront to teachers’ dedication. Kieran Christie, General Secretary of ASTI, called the remarks “ignorant and arrogant.”
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