Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Finance the number of meetings at which the issue of the retrospective recapitalisation of Irish banks through the ESM has been discussed at ECOFIN or EuroGroup meetings. [14063/13]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The European Stability Mechanism Bill was published in May 2012 and enacted in July 2012. Subsequently, the inaugural meetings of the Board of Governors and Board of Directors of the ESM took place in the margins of Ecofin on the 8th and 9th October 2012. The Eurogroup has discussed the issue of direct recapitialisation by the ESM on three occasions this year (21st January, 11th February and 4th March 2013). In that context, Ministers are assisted by their senior officials who are continuing to work at the technical level to help advance matters. The issue has not been on the formal agenda for Ecofin. Ireland continues, in all engagements on this matter, to stress the importance of the Heads of State and Government statement of June 29th 2012 of breaking the vicious link between sovereign and bank debt.