Mr. Dermot McCarthy:

I think it's fair to say, Deputy, the Government weren't eager to do any of the expenditure adjustments, or, indeed, the tax raising ones. The question was what would be effective in achieving the outcome which stability required. In the particular case about the national minimum wage, which I mentioned, I do recall that as being referenced as a matter of particular interest from the Commission. It coincided with a view, developing in the Irish system, that, perhaps, this was, indeed, a timely way of stimulating employment growth in, in effect, the low wage, low productivity areas of the economy.