Mr. Brian Cowen:

Yes well I think it's ... as I said it was in our interest to go into the bailout once we had ... into that programme once we had the conditionality sorted out in our own minds and that they were on the same track. It was still possible having conducted a negotiation. It was quite entitled as a party and say, "We don't agree with this proposal." But I mean it would not make much sense if you were walking away and did not have a plan B. The plan B would have to be how are you going to fund your deficits and the markets weren't funding our deficits at that point. They were but they were doing it at a rate that we didn't believe was affordable and putting more burden on taxpayers and therefore more burden on the sort of corrections and adjustment you'd have to make because you were already in deficit vis-à-viswhat you were spending and what you were bringing in. So you have got to be pragmatic. It doesn't mean you try and, as I said, negotiate and discuss to get the best possible terms. But the best possible terms wasn't about how we to we evade our responsibilities, the best possible terms was how do we undertake our responsibilities in a way that optimises our ability to get back, not just to a public finance balance but also do it in a way that maintains social cohesion and provides economic prospects as well to the best extent we can.