When he was appointed in 1997 there were newspaper reports and doubts expressed about the past. He had been a good spokesman on Northern Ireland and Foreign Affairs in Opposition, guiding a new leader who had not had many dealings in those areas. He was generally sound and, as the Taoiseach pointed out in the Dáil, his appointment was welcomed on the Opposition benches, notwithstanding the rumours. I was in Stormont and the multi-party talks had just been established when he resigned. His resignation was regretted. At the time I wondered whether he should have resigned, thereby creating difficulties for the party in a minority Government and causing a by-election. With the benefit of hindsight, however, one can see why he took that decision. It is clear that he misled the Dáil and that he held bank accounts abroad in breach of foreign exchange regulations.