Sorry seems to be the hardest word

WHAT is it about this Government and their inability to say sorry?

Community Affairs Minister Eamon Ó Cuiv said it last night, but only after he was pushed repeatedly by presenter Sean O’Rourke on RTÉ’s The Week in Politics. And even then, it was qualified. The Government was sorry for whatever mistakes it made, Mr Ó Cuiv said, but all administrations made mistakes.

Such qualifications have been a hallmark of Government in recent months. Take the Taoiseach himself. Time and time again, we have heard Brian Cowen saying he will “not shirk” the difficult decisions. But one decision has proven too difficult for Mr Cowen: the decision to truly say sorry.