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

I just want to deal with one or two matters there before I bring Deputy Phelan, who's next. One comes back to ... I think in your earlier comment this morning, Mr. Cowen, in your opening statement to the committee ... or, sorry in his opening statement to the committee, Mr. Liam Kelleher, former director general of the Construction Industry Federation states, "Representation and lobbying has always been a key element of the CIF's activity". If I could ask you what impact, if any, on the decisions taken by the Government would you attribute to lobbying activities of such organisations and how did you, as Taoiseach, ensure that the decisions taken by you were not unduly influenced by special interest groups?