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

My very last question, Mr. Fitzgerald for the time, I beg your pardon, is this. Again, to say, to quote you, "[A]s I understand it, a substantial portion of the [total] new net lending figure of €6.5 billion in 2008 was lent in the first half of 2008 when funding the existing balance sheet was becoming increasingly more difficult". Mr. Fitzgerald, was that reckless trading to dole out €6.8 billion at a time when you had difficulty funding the existing commitments?