RYANAIR CEO MICHAEL O’Leary has lambasted the Taoiseach, claiming he is “dithering” on major infrastructure decisions.

The airline boss, known for his abrasive remarks against politicians, made the remarks during a sit-down on Virgin Media’s The Big Interview tonight with presenter Colette Fitzpatrick.

The wide-ranging interview touched on the impact of the war in Iran, O’Leary’s love of a promotional stunt and his contentious views on politicians.

But a key part of O’Leary’s appearance was his bemoaning of the delays in lifting of the 32 million passenger cap at Dublin Airport, rolling his eyes when Fitzpatrick said that the passing of the cap was a priority for the government.

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“Give me a break,” O’Leary said, repeatedly pointing to the Government’s 20 seat majority in the Dáil.

“If you want to ram through legislation and really deliver change, you ram through legislation. I mean, I would forgive the government if they had passed it by February, March or April of 2025, but we’re sitting here in April of 2026.”

O’Leary said the government had promised it would scrap the passenger cap as soon as possible but that the industry was still waiting.

O’Leary added that the coalition has the “power to deliver whatever change you want” by virtue of the alliance between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and several Independents.

He next took aim at the Taoiseach: “The problem with Micheál Martin is dithering and indecision.”

Martin’s visit to Helsinki today where he met his counterpart also came in for criticism, as O’Leary said it amounted to the Taoiseach “wasting” time and “wandering around Finland today getting his photograph taken”.

Asked by Fitzpatrick as to whether the trip was important for securing Foreign Direct Investment into Ireland, O’Leary shot back: “That’s what you have a foreign minister for.”

The businessman said this meant that “nothing is getting done here at home”, blaming supposed indecision as being at fault for holdups in infrastructure and housing.

Claims US may cut Irish flights

Outlining the urgency to lift the passenger cap, O’Leary said there was a “great risk” that the US may stop Aer Lingus landing flights in New York.

An Oireachtas committee heard only last week from the head of the US aviation lobby, who said he had told Martin that the powers-that-be in Washington aren’t happy about the passenger cap here as they see it as critical for their business.

Last month, the cabinet approved draft legislation to lift the passenger cap, which was a condition in a 2007 planning permission from Fingal County Council.

The restriction has been suspended by the High Court pending the outcome of legal proceedings referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Dublin Airport handled around 36.4 million passengers last year, meaning full enforcement of the cap would require a reduction of more than 4 million journeys, over 12% of current traffic.

Later in the Big Interview programme, O’Leary defended himself as he was asked whether he gets overly personal in criticism of politicians.

But O’Leary argued that his criticisms of Martin were about his “performance”, as he further stood over previous deriding of former Transport Minister Eamon Ryan as a “dunce”.

Asked what politicians he actually likes, the Ryanair boss cited the “fantastic” Margaret Thatcher, former taoisigh Sean Lemass and Charlie Haughey, the latter of whom was “surrounded by corruption but delivered major change” with building Dublin’s International Financial Services Centre.

However, among the “biggest duds”, according to O’Leary, was Éamon de Valera for “not joining Nato” in the 1940s.