Mr. Brian Cowen:

Well, I think it's more so that, Senator, I would have thought it's a question of being over-defensive in the sense that if there aren't a diverse range of views out there perhaps then you don't have to argue for your case quite as strongly. I mean, I'm not ... I'm only speculating, but I think, in fairness to the people in the Department of Finance, they have always ... I've found them being very open to discuss all sorts of issues, and never took offence if people held a different view. But I just think institutionally sometimes that what can happen, it's back to the culture I'm talking about, I know I could see different cultures in different Departments depending on how long they were established. It's just the way it is. Some of the old Departments of State have a certain way of behaving compared to some of the newer ones, and that's just, that's just a custom that has built up over time. It's just ... maybe all institutions are like that, including political parties, but the point is, to answer your question, I believe that, yes, there obviously have been instances where people are being over-sensitive and over-defensive about issues when you're better off saying, "Let it out there and let's argue the toss." And if that brings a greater public participation, all the better.