Mr. Brian Cowen:

Well, I don't think that ... that had that effect. I mean, in fairness to the Taoiseach, he apologised for any offence caused almost within ... it was in a very short time after that comment being made in an off the ... off-script comment. So he did apologise about that. Secondly, no that ... it didn't have that effect. I think there is a need to recognise in the public service a need to develop a culture where diversity of view is not only fostered but encouraged and there's often, because of the culture of the Department over a long period of years or the hierarchy that builds up in places as to how things are done, often it's that that needs to be challenged and it was being challenged, I'm sure, by many good people on various issues.

But, from my own point of view, I have to say, I liked hearing different points of view. I liked the intellectual challenge of hearing from people who have a different perspective on things and trying to come to a conclusion myself. There's nothing more boring than hearing the same analysis. Now, that's talking against meself when I, sort of, succumb to the consensus view on various issues ... not succumb to it but, sort of, there was ... was such a predominant consensus that one felt that that was the way it was going to go. And I say in my statement that I'm sorry that I wasn't more questioning and more doubting and sought, maybe more proactively, contrarian views or get people who had expressed contrarian views in to see me and go through it with them in more detail. That's a regret I have but purely from an intellectual point of view as well as from a political point of view.