Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

You were wholesome in your praise for all of the people that you worked with through the programme, elected people, people on the technical side, officials and so on. Obviously the fallout from this has seen a contribution from the Irish people that is second to none and indeed without any civil unrest that I’m sure your own organisation would be very familiar with. Would you say that because of the actions of the ECB and the IMF - in not following a line that you yourself would have seen as more preferable given your experience, as a more gradual fiscal adjustment, perhaps more equitable burden-sharing - is it fair to say, or not, that the Irish people paid an unfair price and an unnecessary, unfair price in this regard?