Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am not trying to do that. With respect, the Minister should let me ask the question. The question I asked the Minister in the first instance was whether his official was made aware of this plan before the board meeting and, if so, whether it is the case that he or she did not inform the Minister of it. If I were in the Minister's position as Minister for Finance, and I discovered that an official had been told by AIB before the meeting that it was going to withdraw cash services from 70 branches but he or she did not tell me, I would have an issue with how the Department is being run. That is the question. I am not suggesting that the Minister knew. I want to know whether he has any concern that his official did not inform him of something that caused so much outrage in the State. That is the first question. I was not trying to give the impression, as the Minister suggests, that he knew all along. He should have known; his official should have informed him because it was of such a significant nature. Does the Minister believe it has caused reputational damage to the bank?