Former IBRC chairman Alan Dukes has said it was not his intention to imply that everyone who lives in the border area would turn to violence.
The former Fine Gael leader is under fire for comments he made in the RTÉ documentary Quinn Country.
The three-part series examined the career of businessman Sean Quinn.
In the documentary, Mr Dukes said: "I'm not saying they're different animals to the rest of us.
"But you know, whether they have Provo links or B-Special links or whatever, it is something that is nearer to the way they think that it would be to somebody in South Tipperary."
However, speaking this morning on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, Mr Dukes acknowledged that his comments were not well phrased.
He said: "I shouldn't have said it in the way that I said.
"What I meant to convey was that the protests that were there and the emotion that was there, were seized upon by people who are violent and who carried out acts of sabotage and despicable personal violence against people. And I deplore that."
Mr Dukes said that people in border counties were not violent people, but that they have suffered more from violence than people who live in other parts of the country.
He added that he hoped those who were offended by his comments would accept that he does not believe that people in border counties are violent.
Sinn Féin TD for Cavan-Monaghan Matt Carthy said Mr Dukes' comments had caused "hurt and offence and anger".
In a statement, he said: "Alan Dukes’ comments about our community were completely unacceptable and he should withdraw and apologise for them immediately.
"The fact that he has doubled down on his comments today is indicative of prevalent attitudes, particularly within some sections of Fine Gael.
"Our communities are no different to any other on this island - we want to live in peace and we want a policing service that is adequately resourced and rooted in the community."
