Mr. Fintan Drury:

Well, I think you are endeavouring to lead me into a path of ... what the Irish taxpayer, the losses that the Irish taxpayer has endured and narrow it down to a specific decision that was taken as I've said to you seven or eight years ago, which I was party to, because I was chairing the committee at the time, and saying do I remember why that decision was taken, and if I don't remember why that decision was taken, but I'm saying, it wouldn't have been taken lightly or fecklessly, that I, at the same time ... in light of what happened subsequently, do I regret it? And the reason why the Irish tax ... the reasons why the Irish taxpayer has endured such losses are multi-faceted, as I think we would all accept. They are not all down to Anglo Irish Bank; they cannot all be laid at the door of decisions that were taken at a moment in time by directors be they non-executive or executive directors or senior management in Anglo Irish Bank. Was that material to the losses that the taxpayer has endured? Of course. I'd be a fool to sit here and try and suggest otherwise.