Central Bank Governor to help Banking Inquiry in exploring how ECB can assist Committee

04/02/2015

The Oireachtas Banking inquiry Committee today agreed to accept the assistance of Central Bank Governor Patrick Honohan to explore and develop how the European Central Bank could help the inquiry with its work.

Committee Chairman Ciaran Lynch said: “Yesterday I met with Central Bank Governor Patrick Honohan for talks about how the ECB can further the Committee’s work and how it proceeds with the inquiry. Governor Honohan has agreed to open dialogue with the ECB to assist the Committee. The Committee has agreed to proceed with this line of engagement to explore and develop how the ECB can co-operate with the Inquiry and assist the Committee in advancing its work. In particular, the Committee is interested in the information that the ECB would make available to the Committee to assist us in our work and that may be admissibly used as evidence and inform our final report.”

Among the other issues dealt with in the meeting today were:

• The Committee resumed consideration of the draft schedule of meetings and witnesses and received an update on the meeting schedule and forthcoming meetings. An update will be posted on the Inquiry Schedule on www.oireachtas.ie/bankinginquiry

• The Committee was updated on correspondence with institutions from which it is seeking documents and other material to assist its work and was informed that there was a high level of co-operation to date.

• The Committee continued preparations for forthcoming meetings and also received technical briefings on the substance of those meetings.

• A Communications Protocol between Investigators and Information providers.

• Information Management Protocol relating to information received from the Central Bank.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.

All media enquiries in relation to the Oireachtas Banking Inquiry should be addressed to:

Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2

P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551

Committee Membership

Deputies

Ciarán Lynch (Chairman)
Pearse Doherty
Joe Higgins
Michael McGrath
Eoghan Murphy
Kieran O’Donnell
John Paul Phelan

Senators

Sean D Barrett
Michael D’Arcy
Marc MacSharry
Susan O’Keeffe