I take the Deputy's point. The Department has carried out a good analysis of the new treatment of public private partnership documents. The best I can do is to make that information available. Some of it is in the form of a memorandum but there is an information note which I will seek to make available to Deputy Rabbitte.
There is value in EUROSTAT's position, principally in the clarity we now have. I accept that statistical analysis is not easy and provision must be made for unforeseen events, but at least there is now a clear, readable position for everyone. It is not just readable for us but for those investing in projects as they can understand what they are to do. The risk to the taxpayer is clear, as is the mechanism for spreading that risk over the period involved. I will try to put together the material from these three documents for the Deputy. I asked for some material in question and answer format, which would also be useful, and I will arrange to have that material sent to party leaders.
On the overall question, the general Government balance, GGB, issue was obviously the major difficulty for the Government. The EUROSTAT problem meant English companies coming into Ireland were not getting much clarity from us and they wrote many letters of complaint about the process. Apart from this, the key issue is that many companies want to invest in projects which cannot go wrong. We cannot design a gilt-edged system which is foolproof and risk-free for investors. This is where EUROSTAT is correct. It has now defined the risks. I could put this information on the record, but there are lengthy notes on this issue and I can include them in the document I will circulate.
We must encourage involvement in these projects. There is an abundance of capital in the country for projects, especially in financial institutions. I have made the point at many conferences, including the recent Dublin Chamber of Commerce dinner which Deputy Kenny may recall, that the difficulty is that many institutions are prepared to involve pension funds in construction in Thailand and Vietnam, but there are complexities and problems involved in funding straightforward infrastructural projects in Ireland. I understand that but projects in Ireland should also be examined. Until the EUROSTAT ruling, many institutions said the process was too complex, but that is not the case now. I have met some of those involved and told them they should look at infrastructural projects in Ireland because we have a huge infrastructure deficit in many areas despite the enormous amount of work taking place.
Now there are clear rules for those who wish to become involved in such projects and Members should encourage financial institutions to become involved in those projects. We are already trying to get pension funds to examine these projects. These bodies should become more involved — the system is now a good one — rather than seeking gilt-edged projects in countries about which they know little and about whose regimes they know nothing.