Banking inquiry will be able to publish evidence without report

The Oireachtas banking inquiry is to be told it can publish its evidence without a final report.

The committee is to receive oral legal advice on Friday afternoon on how it can proceed if a final report cannot be agreed upon.

The Irish Times has learned the members will be told the documents it has gathered and the testimony heard can be published without a report.

The committee is expected to seek further written legal advice on this next week.

Fine Gael TD Eoghan Murphy said this needed to be discussed by the committee immediately.

He said: “My understanding this morning is we don’t need special legislation or amendment to publish our evidence - the green books we based our questioning and work on - we can publish without a report.

“The committee should discuss this immediately and prepare that ground in tandem with finalising the amendments to the report”.

The committee will meet at 1pm on Friday to discuss the amendments by members to the report.

It will also meet on Saturday to complete the report, which will then be the subject of a three day legal review.

The inquiry had discussed a proposal by Fianna Fáil Senator Marc MacSharry to request emergency legislation be prepared in the event the inquiry collapses.

The legal advice will confirm there is no requirement for new legislation or any amendment to the current Oireachtas inquiries legislation.

Members of the inquiry are keen for a report to be completed.