I am very concerned at the news this morning that AIB, a State-owned bank, is to proceed with 1,500 job losses and that there has been minimal consultation with the unions. Astonishingly, at the same time as AIB proposes to let 1,500 staff go at a time of very high unemployment, it is also seeking to buy back Goodbody Stockbrokers at a cost of more than €100 million. Not alone that, I understand that big bonuses will be back for the banking sector and will apply to this new entity. As we know, the Minister for Finance is a majority shareholder of AIB. What is the Government's view on these job losses? Has the Minister given AIB permission or approval to proceed? Does the Taoiseach know whether the Minister has raised concerns with AIB on this matter? If it is the case that Goodbody Stockbrokers comes back into the embrace of AIB, will there be a ban on large-scale bonuses?

The Government would view with concern any large-scale redundancies of that kind. Obviously, they are not mandatory redundancies. The indications seem to be that these are issues that will have to be worked out in negotiation but I will obviously discuss this with the Minister for Finance. Conversations will also happen with the banks although I have to stress that the Government does not run AIB. The Deputy knows, as does everyone else in the House, that there has been a very clear demarcation line between the Government and banks in terms of how the latter are operated, notwithstanding the size of the State's shareholding in AIB. That has been the position for well over a decade now and will remain so.