Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

Does the Minister accept that at the time of his accession to office, the Commission already strongly supported this reduction but that his difficulty has been in persuading the other sovereign states participating in the EFSF arrangement of the validity of our case? That is where matters lay when the Minister took up office and they have not really changed since. There is still a difficulty with other member states using the fact that sovereign consent is required for the facility moneys; essentially that would impose further conditions on the State.

The Minister gave a figure of €130 million as the annualised sum involved. I take it that is on the basis of a current envisaged drawn-down, or is it on the basis of a current actual draw-down?

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