Noonan seeks EU approval for early loan repayment plan
Plans to repay Ireland's bailout loans ahead of schedule will reach their next step today.
Michael Noonan will ask his counterparts across the EU for permission to repay up to €15bn of loans from the IMF.
The minister needs to get the approval of every other member state if the plan is to succeed.
"Over five years it would mean about €1.5bn that we wouldn't have to pay," he said. "In Irish terms, that's an awful lot of money."
