Banking inquiry agrees to team to finalise report

The Oireachtas banking inquiry is to put a special team in place in a bid to help complete its work.

The committee held an emergency meeting on Saturday in Dublin as members feared the work of the committee could potentially collapse.

In a statement, the committee said: “The Oireachtas banking inquiry committee met today to discuss members’ feedback on the inquiry draft report and assess the nature of amendments and changes required.

“Some of the material matters that members want to deal with in terms of the report are not suited to the amendment process and, with regard to this the meeting examined the practicalities around progressing the report.

“The committee agreed to put in place a report finalisation team consisting of various elements within the inquiry structure to advance the report to its conclusion.”

‘Not fit for purpose’

Members are deeply unhappy with the draft final report, labelling it “not fit for purpose”, “weak” and “incoherent”.

The 11 committee members will now work to have the report completed by December 1st and will then distribute it to interested parties.

More than 1,000 amendments to the draft final report have already been tabled and the committee will sit next Thursday, Friday and Saturday to consider those.