Mr. Jim Nugent:

May I make a statement? I do not think this is particularly relevant to the agenda but I should say that I knew Lady Valerie Goulding from the mid-1970s, long before I was asked to take on the position of chairman of CERT, as I was regarded as technically competent in sorting out a major problem there. I did a long number of years on it, with a number of different Taoisigh asking me to stay on. It was a very successful programme of work that sorted out the requirements of the tourism industry. Subsequently, out of the blue, I was asked to go on the board of the Central Bank. I did not expect that. When I came to the CRC it was at the request of Lady Valerie Goulding and had nothing to do with any interest I had, one way or the other, in politics.