Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledged that this was a commercial decision made by the bank, which it was. The Deputy asked us all to imagine a moment in which he could be Minister for Finance. In imagining that moment, he would also be aware of the need to have an absolute line of separation between the Department and the commercial independence of the bank, which has to underpin much of the engagement that happens with it. My Department made sure that the chief executive and the bank were fully aware of the public reaction that was under way regarding this, which at that point they were.