Eamon Ryan responds to Ryanair jabs after series of tweets in wake of resignation

It was the latest in a number of jabs at Mr Ryan by the Michael O’Leary-run airline, including comments where Mr O’Leary called Mr Ryan a ‘dunce,’ an ‘idiot’ and called him ‘incompetent’. However, Mr Ryan said that he hasn’t responded to the tweets — but added that it says more about Mr O’Leary and his airline than it does about him.

‘To be honest, I didn’t respond to it,’ Mr Ryan told Claire Byrne. ‘I’ve never made a personal comment about Michael O’Leary or Ryanair, and I think that it doesn’t reflect well on them if that’s the way they want to go. Let them speak for themselves. In my mind, that’s not something I would follow or get engaged with.’

Mr Ryan said he has developed a thick skin after 30 years in politics. The first time he was subjected to criticism, he said it interfered with his sleep ‘for a week’.

‘I remember the first time I ran for the Seanad back in 1996/97, and I remember about page 90 in some newspaper there was one tiny comment about me, and I hardly slept for a week afterwards because I thought it was unfair. 30 years later, it doesn’t really upset me.’

‘Obviously, occasionally it gets very personal, maybe about your family then you’d be really upset, but no it doesn’t [get to me],’ he added. ‘I have more important things to get on with. If you spent your time worrying about that you wouldn’t do your work.’

Michael O’Leary has fired several shots at Mr Ryan over the years, most notably over the decision to cap Dublin Airport at 32 million passengers — something the Ryanair boss has said was ‘insane and stupid.’

‘If we had a Minister for Transport who was modestly interested in aviation or even modestly interested in economic growth and development — which his own aviation policy is at the heart of — he would fix this,’ Mr O’Leary told Newstalk.

If the cap was removed, the Ryanair boss estimated that as many as 40 million travellers could be passing through the airport within four years.

Mr O’Leary previously told Pat Kenny that his airline would simply put the seats elsewhere if he wasn’t able to put them in Ireland.

‘But the airfares in and out of Dublin this Christmas will be €1,000 return — they’ll be €500 each way.’

Mr Ryan has said that he is stepping down to pave the way for the ‘new generation of leaders’ in the party. ‘Our policy will now elect a new leader to take the party forward from here and our own local group will now select a candidate to run in Dublin Bay South.

‘I will continue as party leader and in my ministerial roles until a new leader is appointed, and look forward to fulfilling whatever role a new leader assigns me for the remaining terms of this government.’