Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

Yes.

With regard to Anglo Irish Bank, the fundamental question the Deputy is asking is whether the alternatives to providing capital to the bank have been explored. They have, including the alternatives of immediate liquidation, long-term wind-down and splitting the banking into a new banking entity and an asset management and recovery company. All these options have been examined.

The immediate priority of the board in the past year was to stabilise Anglo Irish Bank when it was nationalised. We are in a position to evaluate the options. I was anxious to point out on Tuesday evening that the option of an immediate wind-down is not viable, although it finds favour with the public for understandable reasons. Clearly, the various alternatives must be evaluated within a relatively short timeframe and in collaboration with the EU authorities in Brussels. I do not want to introduce a note of controversy in saying so. The Commission has a state aid section that supervises state aid provision to financial institutions and it has a view on this. It certainly has not pursued the position that, in some way, the Government is in the dock on this issue. That is far from the case. It, as with the Government, is anxious to find a common resolution to this problem.

This brings me to the issue raised by Deputy Rabbitte on the information that can be made available, subject to the usual commercial requirements, to the different political interests in this House. At various times, political interests in this House have advanced a proposal they believe would in some way make further savings in meeting the cost of the resolution of Anglo Irish Bank's difficulties. I have made it clear I am willing to make my officials available to any of the Opposition parties in that regard.

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