Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

One of the other interesting thrift figures in the summer was the returns being ahead or behind profile in some cases. One of the major profiles ahead of it was the Central Bank's own surplus income to the State, about €170 million or a 19% increase. Can Dr. Fagan explain where that is coming from? Are there any risks that the Central Bank assesses itself, or indeed potential that there would again be further above-profile incomes coming on the Central Bank's own balance sheet?

I have one final question on that. I heard Dr. Fagan say to Deputy Doherty that he cannot advise political decisions around individual tax measures. From his economic assessment, however, on a broader outline if the investment choice, let us say, was between either investing in capital infrastructure here, current spending or reductions in tax income, is there one that he would favour, given the macroeconomics and given that we have a zero value counter-cyclical capital buffer in our banking system? Leaving aside the actual measure, does Dr. Fagan have any economic assessment about whether the investment should be in capital, current or tax reduction measures? Can he provide an assessment in that broad strategic sense as to where he might prioritise, if he had the choice?