Michael D'Arcy (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will not have a conversation about FDI. Perhaps we could have that conversation if the Deputy tabled another Topical Issue matter. I do not say this very often, but I am absolutely satisfied that there was nothing more we could have done. To be frank, we pulled out all the stops. Everybody who was asked to participate did so really well. Many people did not believe we were in the race for the European Banking Authority. Many were of the view that we had made an error withdrawing from the European Medicines Agency bid. However, we said this was the only pathway for Ireland to get into the race for the European Banking Authority third round. We said that if we got into that we would be very competitive, and we were.

We had 13 votes after the second round. The French had ten and the Germans had four. The Germans were subsequently eliminated and its four votes were to be distributed in the next round. One country chose to abstain by spoiling its vote and the French then got three votes. It was 13 all and it went to a hat. That was agreed beforehand. I am not sure whether Deputy Donnelly is aware that the European Medicines Agency also went to a hat. Milan and Amsterdam went into a hat before us at 13 all. They are the facts.

More money would not have made a difference. We had a really good offering in terms of property solutions and staff relocations. Money did not become the deciding factor. Rather, it involved politics and larger countries, whereby Germany and France combined to level with Ireland. All three German votes went the French. The core levelled with the periphery. That is the new dynamic and it is very interesting. Perhaps we will have a chance to have a coffee after this debate. That is the really big story in the European Banking Authority and European Medicines Agency because the Dutch, a smaller nation, also beat the Italians, a larger nation, and that vote was 13 all.

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