Michael O'Leary: ‘History will be kind’ to Albert Reynolds

Former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds was not a great politician but people would "welcome him back in a flash today", said Ryanair chief executive, Michael O’Leary.

“I think perhaps everyone accepts that he wasn’t the greatest politician in the world, in that he managed to blow up two coalitions in a relatively short period of time.

“However, I think if you could go back now and have a visionary, dynamic and bold leadership like Albert Reynolds, or the 10 years of dither and fudge and the buying off of the public sector and other stakeholders like Bertie Ahern did after him, I think people would have him back in a flash.”

Mr O’Leary was speaking in Dublin to announce Ryanair’s new winter schedule. He said he had some dealings with Mr Reynolds as he was his local TD.

“We were certainly very proud of him down there. I think history will be kind to him. I think in his relatively short period as taoiseach he achieved a terrific transformation of the country both [with the peace process] up north and setting the country on the road to a period of rapid economic growth, particularly the famous €8bn in transfers he brought back from Brussels.”

Mr Reynolds pulled off a coup at the EU Summit in Brussels on December 14, 1992, when he returned with a pledge of IR£8bn in infrastructure investments.

“So I think history will be kind to him and I think it should be,” said Mr O’Leary.