TAOISEACH BRIAN COWEN has admitted to the Dáil that he doesn’t yet know the final cost of bailing out Anglo Irish Bank – despite the final bill being set for publication tomorrow.

Answering a question from Labour leader Eamon Gilmore, who listed the number of previous occasions when Cowen had had to inform the Dáil of further recapitalisations, Cowen said he was not aware of the final amount would be.

He explained that the figure was still being compiled by the Central Bank, who had been tasked with coming up with the final amount.

He was also unable to confirm whether tomorrow’s announcement of the final figure – reported this morning to be about €5bn higher than the €24bn figure already approved by the European Commission – would be the final time he would need to seek the Dáil’s assent on a recapitalisation for the bank, in response to a question from Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny.

He also confirmed that the Budget would be announced on December 7, and said that work on the holding of a referendum on the rights of the child was ongoing.

He later admitted to not knowing the time tomorrow when the final bill would be announced.

The Dáil schedule for this evening’s proceedings includes discussion on the three by-elections for the three vacant seats, with the opposition parties hoping that TDs on the fringe of the government benches may vote against the government in order to force the by-elections through.