Mr. John McKeon:

The troika was very keen and very interested that we do this. It was also very keen and very interested that we do other things, which are the right and proper things to do. The National Economic and Social Council, NESC, produced a report - I believe it was in 2010 or 2011 - on jobseeker and employment supports for jobseekers. It suggested that we develop a contracting model, independently of the troika. The issue we have is that we simply did not have enough case officers to deal with people who are unemployed. We had to resource it. Whether the troika was telling us to or not, I think we would have done it. It was interested in us doing it and held us to account in terms of our plans and when they would be produced, etc. It can be argued and different people have different views of the troika but I certainly think it was the right thing to do. We would have wanted to do it anyway.