Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

Mr. Walsh, if we could get on the evidence book - it will come up in front of you there - some of the growth indicators for Irish Nationwide between 1998 up to 2007. It is in front of you now. Over the period 2002 to 2007 in particular, profit before tax increased by 303%, and total assets by 190%. Even the four diagrams there will show what some people might think would be an astonishing exponential growth from 2002 onwards. Do you think that these levels of growth were prudent or sustainable, particularly in view of the growing competition within the Irish lending market at this time?