Dr. Michael Somers:

Yes, it is the public's money. We are spending the State pension fund which is intended to pay pensions, hopefully for decades to come. If the Government decides to do so, that is fine. It is not a decision that would fall to the likes of us to make. That would be a general policy decision. If something like that happened one would find an individual who had all kinds of property and incomes on the side but who got his or her mortgage reduced and we would be hung out to dry. This is a very difficult situation. There are no easy solutions.