Charlie McCreevy (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

On Committee Stage, that was done at the request of the former Deputy and now Senator Derek McDowell. It was done to explain the intricacies of the provision and specifically to explain that the matter was the subject of a request under the Freedom of Information Act, which had been appealed. The Deputy can ask Senator McDowell and others who were present to outline what I said about the amendment at the time. I said I could not believe I had become so socialist in my old age that I was giving in to all the requests affecting ESOTs. I took an opposite view to that which people are now trying to imply. There was noting secret or underhand about this.

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