ETC chief executive officer Philip Rizzo this morning apologised for his “brains, boobs and balls” comment to a female subordinate.

His comment was yesterday criticised by the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality which said that such comments were never acceptable.

In a statement, Mr Rizzo said:

“Allow me to publicly offer my full and unreserved apologies for my failure to foresee that the remark I made on a senior Colleague's private Facebook page risked causing upset not only to the official herself but also to the Corporation in which I am striving to serve.

“It is not without much embarrassment that I find myself also having to express my regrets to the National Commission for Promotion of Equality and the general public for the bad example I have unwittingly given by the facetious remark I made.

“Finally, I wish to clarify that my remarks were not the result of or intended to show any favouritism and I recognise that the professional achievements of the individual concerned were achieved purely on her own merits.”