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MINISTER OF STATE Brian Hayes has said he has sympathy for his fellow junior minister John Perry who is the subject of a multi-million euro court judgment against him over unpaid loans.

Questions about the suitability of Perry as Minister for Small Business have arisen in the wake of a judgment of €2.47 million made against him and his wife in the Commercial Court on Monday.

Though the couple have been granted a stay on execution and registration of the judgment until 2 September, opposition parties have called for clarification from Perry of his financial position and for the Taoiseach to comment on what he knew about the unpaid loans.

Hayes told TheJournal.ie that his Fine Gael colleague is not dissimilar to “thousands of other small business people in this situation because of the collapse of this country”.

But he declined to be drawn on whether Perry should make a statement, saying matters are before the courts.

“I hope and I am confident that John can resolve this issue,” he said. “But I think this issue is before the courts, the courts should be allowed to work out those issues.”

Hayes added that he was confident Perry would hold onto his junior ministerial post.

- camera and editing by Michelle Hennessy and Nicky Ryan

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