Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

With members present and with Mr. Cowen present also, can I propose that we go back into public session for the afternoon? And in doing so, announce that the Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis is now resuming in public session and can I ask those members and people, visitors in the public Gallery, to ensure that their mobile devices are switched off? So welcome back. Our witness today now continues to be Mr. Brian Cowen, former Taoiseach and Minister for Finance and in this afternoon's session we'll broadly focus on Mr. Cowen's tenure as Minister for Finance from the general election in 2007 until his appointment as Taoiseach in 2008. So welcome back this afternoon Mr. Cowen and if I can invite our first questioner this afternoon, which is Deputy Michael McGrath. Deputy, you have 25 minutes.