Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

In regard to the other matter Deputy Gilmore raised, the Minister was aware from contacts between the Department of Finance and the Financial Regulator over the course of last year that a large overhang of shares as held by a particular investor and related persons, that this was considered by the bank and the market to be a source of instability and that the institution was seeking some resolution of this issue. The details of this were a matter for the institution and, as appropriate, the Financial Regulator.

To answer specifically the question the Deputy asked, I am not aware of any directors' loans, the content of them, the context for them or in what respect they are held — not at all. I am not involved in that area whatsoever——

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