EU 'making progress' on Ireland's legacy bank debt

A top ranking EU official has said negotiations on Ireland's legacy bank debt are "making progress".

Europe's Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn also said he found the recent assertion by a group of EU Finance Ministers that historic debt did not form part of the June deal "confusing".

The Taoiseach and Tánaiste are in Brussels for a two-day EU summit, again pressing the case for the June deal to be fully implemented.

In a strong hint that it will be, Commissioner Rehn said it is not the EU which ever raised questions about the issue of legacy debt.

Mr Rehn said: "There are negotiations going on between the Irish government and European institutions, fully in mind of the summit in June, and my understanding is these negotiations are making progress.

"It is too early to say publicly what is the exact content of the likely outcome."