Mr. Charlie McCreevy:

Well, during my time as Minister for Finance, I believe that the measures I took allowed everybody an opportunity to have a better standard of living and all the benefits that came with that. And it certainly allowed people to move up the property ladder if they so wish. What some of these issues about affordability relate to is the ratios which the lending institutions decided to operate. What the regulator was doing about same. I read interestingly enough, with the regulator that he seemed to, that he did increase as far as I can make out the ... their issues of risk-related assets of what he was imposing upon the banks. That didn't seem to have any effect either and I referred to earlier different things that I believe contributed to the whole chasing one another. But I don't ... I find it hard to believe that things such as that the park ... tax incentivisation ... regarding, say, things like park and ride schemes, small towns renewal, docklands relief, enterprise only, another, contributed say to housing-----