Bid To Put Irish Bailout In Guinness Book Of Records

The World's Most Expensive Bank Bailout bid is being submitted by the campaign group Debt Justice Action, on behalf of all of the people in Ireland who, the group claim, will each pay €16,500 to make this record attempt a reality.

Vicky Donnelly, Development Officer, who filled out the application, said "The application was submitted online, detailing how much Ireland has poured into the banks.

"We included supporting documents from the most recent IMF working paper, which recognises Ireland as having the, "costliest banking crisis in advanced economies since at least the Great Depression."

The group is expecting an answer within six weeks.

It says the only comparison that can be made with records currently listed was the world's biggest bank robbery - $70m from the Banco Central in Brazil in 2005

But it says in Ireland's case, the cash is going in the opposite direction.

What the two records do have in common is that the culprits remain at large, and the money has yet to be recovered, they said.

It is estimated that at least €67.97 billion has been poured into Irish banks so far, representing 45% of GDP, which came to €156.4bn in 2011.

Of the €70 billion, one single institution, the infamous Anglo Irish Bank, accounts for over €30 billion.

When the interest is factored in, this will cost Ireland €47 billion, or the equivalent of €26,000 per person working for pay or profit in the country.