ALMOST TWO in five of Irish bank directors who were in place at the time of the Government guarantee have retained their board memberships.

Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan, in response to a question from Labour Party finance spokesperson Joan Burton, confirmed that 28 directors remain in place at the six institutions covered by the guarantee; AIB, Anglo Irish Bank, Bank of Ireland, EBS Building Society, Irish Life Permanent and Irish Nationwide.

According to Mr Lenihan, this represents “38 per cent of those who were in office pre the introduction of the Government guarantee” in September 2008.

Mr Lenihan declined to name the directors still in place at the institutions but said, “contrary to public perception, a lot of changes at director level at the covered institutions have taken place”.

Nine of the 14 members of the court, or board of directors, at Bank of Ireland, were appointed before September 2008.

They are: group chief executive Richie Boucher (appointed October 2006); chief executive retail Des Crowley (2006); Denis Donovan, chief executive capital markets (2006); deputy governor Dennis Holt (2006); group chief financial officer John O’Donovan (2002); and non-executive directors Paul Haran (2005); Rose Hynes (2007); Jerome Kennedy (2007); and Heather Ann McSharry (2007).

At AIB, three of the nine directors held office at the time of the guarantee. They are: David Pritchard, chairman of AIB’s UK operations (appointed 2007); Stephen Kingon, audit committee chairman (2007); and non-executive director Anne Maher (2007).

Six of the 12 directors at Irish Life Permanent were in place at the time of the guarantee. They are: group chief executive Kevin Murphy (appointed 1999); outgoing chairwoman Gillian Bowler (1998); company secretary Ciarán Long (2004); and non-executive directors Breffni Byrne (2004); Danuta Gray (2004); and Roy Keenan (2006).

At EBS, eight of the 12 directors were on the board when the guarantee was introduced. These are: chief executive Fergus Murphy (appointed January 2008); acting chairman Phillip Williamson (2007); finance director Emer Finnan (2007); and non-executive directors Pat McCann (2007); Liam Mulvihill (2007); Barbara Patton (2002); Jim Ruane (2007); and Ethna Tinney (originally appointed 2000 and again in 2008 after one year off the board).

According to the most recent annual report for Irish Nationwide, chairman Danny Kitchen and non-executive Seán Carey were the only current board members in place at the time of the guarantee. However, a spokesman last night said Mr Kitchen joined the board in October 2008.

All the directors of Anglo Irish Bank were appointed after September 2008.