Mr. Seamus Boland:

The relationship is simple. We are the national voluntary organisation and have been calling for this for a while. The Sparkassen foundation is effectively working with us as a consultant because we believe it to have the best model for consideration. Irish Rural Link has outlined its position to the Department of Finance and the newly named Department of Rural and Community Development. It is through these two Departments that we are working. We have had talks with the Central Bank, but also with a range of other organisations in the field, for example, farming organisations, builders' groups, etc. We have been talking across political parties and organisations.