I propose to take Questions Nos. 106 and 146 together.
As the Deputy is aware the matter of the Promissory Note is managed on an ongoing basis within my Department. The section assigned the role is staffed with the appropriate expertise and experience. The section has the facility to draw on the full range of internal and external expertise as required. The relevant section in my Department has been assigned responsibility to progress this matter.
As indicated I am eager to have the promissory notes examined to see if they can be reconstituted or re-engineered in a better way for the State, for example, by lengthening their maturity or reducing the interest rates on them, or both. I raised this issue during discussions with the EU Commission, ECB and the IMF at the last quarterly review in October. Since then technical discussions are under way between my officials and officials from the ECB and EU Commission in regard to the promissory notes. As yet there is no indication of a successful outcome.