Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 30 April 2013

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform

Stability Programme Update: Discussion with Minister for Finance

6:35 pm

Photo of Michael NoonanMichael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The promissory note, with an interest rate holiday, is being replaced by Exchequer bonds on which interest is chargeable. The promissory note had this holiday, but I do not want to describe it in adverse terms; it was probably clever negotiation. However, this created a difficulty for the incoming Government, while it eased the problems of the outgoing Government in an election year and the subsequent year.