Mr. Gabriel Makhlouf:

I, like many people in the country, share the same sentiments of horror and revulsion at the death and destruction we have seen in the Middle East in the past year and want to see an immediate end to hostilities by all parties. As I said on Monday when we launched the coin to commemorate the centenary of Óglaigh na hÉireann, we are thinking of the bravery of our personnel serving abroad during a clearly challenging and dangerous time. Those people are remaining steadfast in their peacekeeping duties far from their families and loved ones. Those sentiments, however deeply felt, cannot be a substitute for what the law requires. The law is pretty clear in this case that we have to approve a prospectus that offer securities to the public as long as the prospectus meets the standards of completeness, comprehensibility and consistency. The law is also clear that our approval should not be considered endorsement of the issuer or of the securities. The Deputy mentioned treaty agreements, etc. There is nothing that links them directly to overriding the regulations we have to follow. It is a question for lawmakers as to how they want that to happen. At the moment, we are obligated to follow the rules, as I have set out in my letter to the Deputy and his colleagues.