Vol. 522 No. 2
40 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Finance the current position regarding the nomination of Mr. Hugh O'Flaherty to the post of vice-president of the European Investment Bank; if the nomination has been approved by the Board of Governors of the Bank; if the government will proceed with the nomination having regard to the level of opposition among the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18152/00]
I have already set out, on 21 June last, the position regarding the nomination and where it is in the European Investment Bank procedure. I also dealt extensively with this matter in the course of the earlier debate in this House on 23 May 2000.
I will set out again the position regarding Mr. O'Flaherty's nomination as it is at this moment.
Deputies will be aware that I had already formally submitted Mr. O'Flaherty's name to the bank on 18 May 2000. Deputies will also be aware that the nomination was the subject of High Court proceedings in the interim and that the EIB were made aware, through contacts at official level with my Department, of the position in regard to the court action.
As I said in this 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 EIB to ask him to expedite the matter.
The question of a formal reaction from the bank in relation to the nomination does not arise at 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 would go to the governors who make the appointment.
