Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

Exactly. I wish to ask the Minister about his strategy regarding AIB. Why does he believe it is advantageous to wait for the submission of a plan and the recapitalisation proposals until the end of the year? Why does he feel that will support getting credit flowing from AIB? Would it not be better for him to assume control of the process at this stage in order to get a better outcome for taxpayers and those who are looking for credit? Does the Minister accept that the guarantee, as originally drawn, was drawn too widely, as Professor Patrick Honohan has said? He said it should have been confined to liquidity which could leave and should only have applied to new injections and not existing funds which were committed and were in the banks. Does he accept that was a mistake?

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