Lenihan urged to reveal maximum limit on bank bailout

FINANCE Minister Brian Lenihan has been urged to spell out exactly how much of taxpayers’ money he is prepared to pump into the country’s struggling banks.

The estimated cost of the bailout of Anglo Irish Bank has risen to €24 billion since the Government nationalised the institution in January 2009 and pumped €1.5bn into it.

Similarly, the estimated cost of rescuing Irish Nationwide Building Society has now risen to €4bn.