I am glad the Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is present. Five years ago he stated in the Lower House that he was confident the Flood tribunal would vindicate Ray Burke. He must wonder how wrong he could have been given that words have a habit of coming back to haunt us. Hindsight is beneficial and we all make judgments in politics. However, the Taoiseach's decision to appoint Ray Burke was misguided. In appointing an individual to the third most senior political position in the State, one must wonder how much research is undertaken to ensure the credentials of the individual are above board. The Taoiseach received several warnings in this case, including from his predecessor, Albert Reynolds, and the Minister for Defence. Another person revealed recently in the media how he had warned the Taoiseach regarding the appointment of Ray Burke and many people still ask why he appointed him.