Mr. Tony Murphy:

Not at all. Sometimes there is a blurred line of where our mandate stops and where we stray into the political domain. We always have to be cognisant of the issue. We definitely would not share gossip as auditors, if the Deputy does not mind. We can have an informal chat some time when we get back to Dublin and talk about what we know. We know what is going on with the loan. It makes sense for the member states to do it in this way because it means that their balance sheets are not carrying this money. It has been transferred centrally to the Commission and is being guaranteed by the member states. It makes sense for member states. All of this is new. It is a significant challenge for us. Are the loans really EU funds that we should audit? The member state has to repay the loan. We can check that the conditionality for giving the loan has been met and then check the repayment schedule and that the repayments come. Apart from that, we can look at the debt management arrangements put in place by the Commission to make sure they are properly set up and that we get the best rates we can. I hope I have answered the Deputy's questions.