Michael D'Arcy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Thank you, Chairman. Mr. Cowen, you are welcome. Tom Considine, former Secretary General of the Department of Finance, in previous evidence, stated the political pressure to ease up on what was seen as expenditure cuts was very strong. You made a recommendation to the Department, Mr. Cowen, to add an additional €900 million on top of existing costs to the Estimates for the upcoming budget. Could you tell us which persons or organisations exercised this political pressure and how this pressure was exercised before the Department June Estimates?