Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is a question that is rhetorical in many of its aspects. Effectively, the Deputy is trying to get an answer and then will twist my views subsequently. I have laid out what the situation is. If the Deputy believes it would be of greater benefit to the taxpayer to sell the bank shares on the open market than anything we would get from the ESM, he will be right. However, that is not going to prevent me from filing an application to the ESM and exploring all possibilities in the best interest of the taxpayer.