Banking inquiry: My five questions Ahern needs to answer

03:55, 12 July 2015 by Stephen Kinsella

1. During your time as Taoiseach, the price of a home in the area in which you
lived more than doubled. How did you not notice this housing bubble building up
when it was happening literally outside your front door?
2. The Wright report describes the culture in the Department of Finance as
riddled with groupthink and scared to say anything against the narrative that
Ireland Inc was going to grow forever. As a Minister for Finance, and later
Taoiseach, how much responsibility do you think you bear for these systemic
problems?
3. When the Wright report into the Department of Finances organisational
failings was released, you refused to comment on it. Will you comment on it now,
given that Dr Wright has also given evidence to this Inquiry?
4. The Wright report identifies three reasons for Irelands failure of fiscal policy
from 1995 to 2008: the development of irrational expectations, The Programmes
for Government, and the Social Partnership process. Given that you were an
architect of all three, what portion of the blame for the crisis do you believe you
should share?
5. Finally, will you apologise to Professor Morgan Kelly and other sceptical
economists for describing them as cynics and knockers, people who always see
the glass as half empty. I cant understand people who are always bitching,
saying: Its the governments fault, its the doctors fault, its the cats fault. Its
everybodys fault except their own?