So, where exactly are the "ends of the earth"?

The "ends of the earth" indeed! That's where they would be pursued to ... the very ends of the earth.

That is exactly what Brian Lenihan said. That Anglo Irish Bank would pursue former directors with loans to the "ends of the earth".

So we can all rest easily then. Phew!!!

However, as usual, the reality is almost the exact opposite of the rhetoric. According to Emmet Oliver in the Irish Independent Anglo Irish Bank is prepared to write off €109m in loans after former directors, including Sean FitzPatrick, failed to repay the bank. At the end of 2009 the bank had €155.2m in loans outstanding to directors and former directors, but after taking an "impairment" on these loans, there was €46.3m outstanding.

The largest director's loans were held at the end of 2009 by former chairman Sean FitzPatrick, at €88.7m. According to the accounts, the bank had to make a provision of €67.9m because the loans are not expected to be repaid. One of these provisions came to €40.2m, although the report simply said this loan was to fund "a number of investments". The second largest number of loans outstanding were to Lar Bradshaw, who made a number of investments with Mr FitzPatrick. According to the report Mr Bradshaw had €28.5m of loans outstanding with the bank, with provisions of €21.9m covering most of these loans. The provision is taken based on the likelihood repayment will not be made. Gary McGann had large sums in loans from the bank, amounting to €10.6m at the end of 2009. The report does not include any provision for McGann's loans not being repaid. Willie McAteer, a former director who was recently arrested and questioned, had €8.5m of loans outstanding. The bank took a major provision on McAteer's loan of €7.6m. The former chief executive David Drumm was also advanced large loans. According to the report he had €8.3m of loans at the end of 2009, with the bank forced to take provisions of €6.7m on these. Mr Drumm is in dispute with the bank over loans and bonuses he claims are owed to him.

So it looks like the "ends of the earth" are a lot closer than we previously thought. In fact, they are not very far away at all ... just more meaningless words from Minister Lenihan's ... just more broken promises. Just more theft of our money by the wealthy supported by the Greens and Fianna Fail.

As usual the rhetoric means nothing.