Mr. Declan Hughes:

I wanted to put that on the record. The other point I would make is that we employ nearly as many people in Irish companies in the US as US companies employ here. Those are the points I wanted to make.

In response to the question the Deputy asked, that practice is not something I have come across or of which I am aware. That is my experience. I was not involved in that particular meeting. It is not something that would happen regularly. Commercial negotiations happen on an ongoing basis in respect of particular projects and investments, etc. That is part of the cut and thrust-----