John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Professor Hardiman outlined in a number of answers that in her opinion too much consensus existed in the political system, and perhaps in other institutions and between institutions, in the lead up to the financial crisis. Professor Farrell emphasised in many of his answers the need to move towards what he described as a more consensus form of politics, and that we did not have enough of a consensus form of politics. Perhaps I am missing something, but potentially there seems to be a direct contradiction between Professor Farrell's view on the type of politics that existed in Ireland before the financial collapse and how we needed to move to a European model of consensus, and Professor Hardiman's view that too much consensus existed. Can Professor Hardiman square this circle?