Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

When you were then back in Finance, you mentioned to my colleague, Senator D'Arcy, that you were trying to restrain the growth of public expenditure and to drive down the debt-to-GDP ratio.

Did it ever occur in those conversations that maybe the correct stance from the Department of Finance would be to look at the rate of growth of credit? Central Bank was telling you to control cost and improve competitiveness. Did you ever say, "We could do with some assistance from Dame Street in view of the high rate of credit growth"?