Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Can I take you to the letter from Jean-Claude Trichet on 19 November 2010 and you express some surprise in your composite statement as to why that letter was sent because the ECB was very much involved in the preliminary discussions with the Irish Government on the possible scope of a programme and so forth. So why do you think that letter was sent and why do you think the threat, for want of a better phrase, on possibly withdrawing the ELA support for the banks, why was that so explicit and why did the letter have to be sent, if all of this was in train anyway?