I set out, on 21 June last, the position regarding the nomination and its place in the European Investment Bank procedure. I also dealt extensively with this matter in the course of the earlier debate in the House on 23 May 2000. I will set out again the current position regarding Mr. O'Flaherty's nomination.
Deputies will be aware that I formally submitted Mr. O'Flaherty's name to the bank on 18 May 2000. They will also be aware that the nomination was the subject of High Court proceedings in the interim and that the European Investment Bank was aware of the position in regard to the court action, through contacts at official level with my Department. As I said in the House last Wednesday, it is now a matter for the bank to carry through the procedures in relation to the nomination. Since then, I have written to the president of the European Investment Bank to ask him to expedite the matter.
The question of a formal reaction from the bank in the nomination does not arise that this stage. The proposal has been circulated by the bank to the board of directors and, following completion of this procedure, which as I indicated previously had been interrupted by the High Court proceedings, the matter will go to the governors who make the appointment.