The European Central Bank is to consider releasing the letter which forced Ireland into a bailout.

The European Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly is formally asking the bank to release a letter which reportedly saw Brian Lenihan forced to ask for help from the Troika.

It is thought that the ECB then-president, Jean-Claude Trichet, threatened to cut off funding for Irish banks if the government did not take a bailout programme.

Both the ECB and the Department of Finance have previously refused to release the letter - citing exemptions in the Freedom of Information (FOI) laws.