Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

For the benefit of the Deputy, when we had the Department of Finance in some time ago, we asked that specific question on the ultimate surplus. The representatives from the Department stated it had not made any decision or proposals on the matter. We asked then what were the EU rules in respect of this because the Government's general position is that any money recovered from financial assets goes towards the reduction of debt. That is the general position on the sale of bank shares, for example. Some people in the Department of Finance indicate that the surplus might be used to reduce the national debt.