John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Going back to the point you were making about the people coming to observe what was happening in Ireland, in 2000, when you became Secretary General to the Government, the Exchequer pay bill was €8.6 billion. By 2008, it had risen to €18.8 billion, an increase of 120%. Now, I know you weren't Secretary General to the Department of Finance but, obviously, you had a role in relation to social partnership and you had an overall role as the person who would have been regarded as the most senior civil servant. Were there any alarm bells ringing for you at that eight-year, 120% increase in the cost of the public service, if you like, in general? And did you raise any of those concerns, if you had ... if you had them?