Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 July 2019
199. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the value of sovereign debt of other countries the State holds; the rate at which these bonds were purchased; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32977/19]
View answerThe National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) has advised me that the Exchequer does not currently hold the sovereign debt of any other country, however, as of 30 June 2019, the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) holds €44m of direct investments in foreign sovereign debt. These assets were purchased at a weighted average yield of +0.9%.
Additionally, in May 2010, certain Euro Area Member States entered into a Loan Facility Agreement to provide financial assistance to Greece in order to support the financial stability of the Euro Area as a whole. As part of the first Greek EU-IMF programme, participating Member States authorised a Euro Area Loan Facility totalling approximately €77.3 billion. Ireland stepped out of the Greek Loan Facility (GLS) when we entered our own EU-IMF Programme in late 2010 having contributed circa €347 million, which is repayable in scheduled stages and amounts between 15 June 2020 and by 15 June 2040. Ireland is therefore in receipt of quarterly interest based on the 3 Month EURIBOR rate, plus a margin of 0.5% in relation to the GLS. The cumulative interest received by 30 June 2019 was circa €36.5 million.
