Professor Eamonn Walsh:

To be honest, I have no idea. I largely think this is an empirical matter, that is, to ask them whether they knew about these risks. If so, what did they do about them? Did they know about the risks and do nothing or, alternatively and quite possibly, did they not know about them? It is quite possible that, given the way information was being reported and making its way through channels, they were not fully aware of the nature of these risks.