Mr. John Gormley:

Okay. I'd have to get you the exact date but my recollection is that the meeting took place in the Taoiseach's office. I was there, as was the leader of the Fine Gael Party, Enda Kenny, as was the leader of the Labour Party, Eamon Gilmore. I have to say I was disappointed in the response. I suppose, from a political point of view, it's understandable that the leaders of the Opposition were not interested in a type of Tallaght strategy, as you put it. What they wanted was a general election. You know, I was quite prepared at that stage to say to people "Look this is a national emergency. This is what this country is going through right now. We need to co-operate and if that means that we co-operate for a period of time and then have a general election, so be it." Now, it was not a runner - immediately, I could see - and, in fact, I heard that before we even went into the meeting that there had been a statement made to some of the newspapers to say that they weren't interested. During that meeting, my memory is that Deputy Kenny, as he was then, was quite silent - he didn't say that much. Deputy Gilmore was a little bit more aggressive in saying he wanted a general election now and that was the end of it. And ... so that's how it turned out. I was particularly disappointed then afterwards because you may recall that the Green Party then subsequently left Government and we voted for the Finance Bill from the Opposition benches. And Eamon Ryan, at that stage then, tried again and he approached Simon Coveney with an offer. And the offer there was ... it related to a motion of no confidence and Fine Gael and Labour said that they would vote ... they would withdraw their motion of no confidence and the reason for that was that we had made it very clear that we would have no option at that stage, because we had withdrawn from Government, that we would have to vote with the Opposition. And so, therefore, if they had voted, at that stage, no confidence in the Government, the Government would have fallen and the incoming Government would've had to introduce the Finance Bill.

Now, from a political point of view, I have to be quite frank with you and say that was my preference - you know, let someone else do the heavy lifting - because I was a little bit peeved at what happened previously, when I had tried to extend a hand of co-operation and it was, you know, put aside. In the end, a deal was done. I think ... if I ... I was not at that meeting. I think Eamon Ryan was at that meeting,. If I recollect correctly, perhaps Senator Doherty, as he was then, was at that meeting. And, you know, it was an arrangement that was made. We voted from the Opposition benches for a terrible Finance Bill and that sealed our fate, you know. I mean, we had to go into an election after that.