Mr. Joe Walsh:

I certainly do and I am sure my colleague, Mr. Considine, does as well. As I said earlier, I was a public representative for many years. I went before the public on 14 or 15 occasions and, thankfully, I had an extended time in public life from 1974 to 2007. I understand at first hand how the public react to matters and, on the matter of the economy to which the Deputy specifically referred, the public made a decision and the impact was devastating. I do not blame the public for that because they had a right to do that.

I took up my current role in early 2009. The Deputy mentioned small businesses and mortgage holders and the record will show that the Bank of Ireland demonstrably has made greater facilities available to small businesses and mortgage holders than any of the other banks in the country. It has acceded to and complied with requests from the Minister and the Department from time to time not alone to the letter but to the spirit of the directives that were given.