The IMF made an unsolicited call to Ireland in the middle of 2010 asking if Ireland would be interested in arranging a precautionary bailout.
That's according to the governor of the Central Bank who's giving evidence at the Banking Inquiry.
Patrick Honohan says in mid-2010 he was called by Ashoka Mody - who was then the head of the IMF's relations with Ireland - who made the suggestion.
Honohan says he was in favour of the plan, because the IMF only offered precautionary facilities to countries which were well-run.
However he says a final decision was not up to him, so he referred the issue to the Department of Finance which swiftly "shot" the proposal.
Mr Mody is now better known as a critic of the effects of austerity in Ireland, regularly commenting on its crippling social effects.
In his evidence at the Banking Inquiry, Governor Honohan also said the Troika bailout of 2010 was inevitable - even if the bank guarantee had never existed.
Our political correspondent Gavan Reilly filed this report for Today FM's National Lunchtime News:
