Minister of State Noel Treacy has said he regrets creating the impression that the Mahon Tribunal was responsible for the leaking of confidential information about payments to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
Mr Treacy told the Mahon Tribunal that he had no evidence to back up his claim that a well known source inside the inquiry was constantly leaking information for political purposes.
He said he made the comments early in the morning on Newstalk radio after being asked a question he had not expected.
Mr Treacy said he had been referring to a perception that there had been a worrying amount of leaking of confidential information.
And he said that despite inquiries, no-one had been identified as the source.
But Mr Treacy agreed under questioning by counsel for the inquiry that the integrity of the tribunal was of critical importance.
He regretted that his remarks would have 'produced the mindset' that any tribunal personnel were responsible for the leaks.
