John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senators for their very reasonable contributions. Sometimes in politics people will say to those with whom they do not agree that they have not listened to them, which seems to be a unique way of looking at how people should think.

Senator Kieran O’Donnell and I lost two years of our lives in the dungeons of Leinster House at the banking inquiry. For ten years group-think prevailed everything politically, economically and socially. Engaging with someone does not demand that we all have to agree with each other. Despite that, there is considerable agreement on many of the aspects discussed. I want to go through as much of the detail as I can at this juncture.

Senator Murnane O'Connor made the very valid point that she has made at every local government discussion we have had here about the power of the chief executive officers. I still call them managers.