John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

When one writes a book, as I did in 2010, one certainly makes enemies. I wrote the book out of my experience in the Department and in politics generally, and I outlined my case. Does that win you many friends? No, not in here. I now understand why people write books when they retire rather than when they are in their place of employment.

Was it a happy place for me in that Department? No, frankly, it was not. I experienced a Department that was not up to speed with what was going on and there was a reluctance or a very slow pace in terms of the response to everything. That brought about its own dynamic in terms of how one pushes matters on, how one develops a business and what one does. Did that win many friends? I think not.

Deputy Deasy stated he is not surprised that this is happening and I am not surprised that this is happening. He asked whether I had gone too far. He stated that Government members had asked whether I had gone too far. I do not know whether Deputy Deasy means members of the committee or senior members in his party or the Government generally believe I have gone too far.