The Minister for Public Enterprise, Mrs O'Rourke, led the tributes to Mr Bernie Cahill, who died yesterday evening in a drowning accident. She extended her "deepest sympathy" to his wife, Kathleen, and their three children.
A spokeswoman for the Minister said: "On behalf of the Taoiseach and the Government, Mrs O'Rourke paid tribute to Mr Cahill's long and distinguished career in the public service."
The deputy leader of Fine Gael, Mr Jim Mitchell, said that Mr Cahill belonged to a generation of business people who had laid the foundations for today's strong Irish economy.
Mr Mitchell said: "Bernie Cahill gave distinguished voluntary service to Ireland in a number of significant capacities. He took on many difficult tasks and was never put off, no matter how difficult the task or how much the criticism. He was one of a generation of committed Irish citizens who laid the foundations of the `Celtic Tiger'."
An Aer Lingus spokesman described Mr Cahill's death as a "tragic loss to the airline", saying that he had made a "hugely significant contribution to the company over a decade".
Ms Kay Garvey, secretary of the central representative committee of trade unions at Aer Lingus, said that Mr Cahill would always be remembered as the architect of the "Cahill plan", the package of cost-saving measures introduced when Aer Lingus was facing a financial crisis. She added: "He was a highly respected figure. My sympathies are with his family. All the staff would share that view."
The national industrial secretary of SIPTU, Mr Noel Dowling, said that Mr Cahill had led Aer Lingus through a turbulent period. "He was undoubtedly a respected chairman and businessman. SITPU extends its sympathies to the Cahill family", he added.
Mr Brendan Butler, director of enterprise at the employers' organisation, IBEC, said that Mr Cahill had made an enormous contribution to the business community. He described his death as a "tragic loss".
