THE Tanaiste, Mr Spring, made a personal statement to the Dail to explain how he had inadvertently misled the House about beef exports to Iraq.
He was correcting an error made in a reply to a question from Mr Des O'Malley (PDs, Limerick East) on March 26th.
A debate on the Compellability, Privileges and Immunity of Witnesses Bill, was interrupted to allow Mr Spring to clarify his original answer.
The Tanaiste said he had told Mr O'Malley that the European Commission had not imposed any fines in relation to certain beef exports to Iraq.
"This information was based on a misunderstanding of background material supplied to my Department by the Department of Agriculture.
"On further examination of this matter and in the light of information which arrived after the reply was delivered, I have ascertained that the reply was erroneous" Mr Spring said.
The Commission had in fact imposed "disallowances" in relation to some of those exports and the Department of Agriculture confirmed that it did not pay export refunds.
"It was not my intention to mislead Deputy O'Malley or the House," the Tanaiste said adding that he regretted the error.