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Brian Cowen and Charlie McCreevy called before Banking Inquiry

Twelve officials from the Department of Finance have been called to appear before the Banking Inquiry
Twelve officials from the Department of Finance have been called to appear before the Banking Inquiry

Former taoiseach Brian Cowen and former minister for finance Charlie McCreevy have been called to give evidence at the Banking Inquiry.

They are among a number of people called by the inquiry because of their work at the Department of Finance.

They include David Doyle, former secretary general at the department and his successor Kevin Cardiff, who is now a member of the European Court of Auditors.

Ann Nolan, who is head of the financial services directorate at the department, has also been given notice to attend the inquiry.

The inquiry has issued similar notice to seven other officials from the Department of Finance, though no date for their appearances has been set at present.

Deputy governor of the Central Bank Cyril Roux has also been issued with notice to attend the inquiry at a date yet to be confirmed.

View the full list of people who have been issued with a Notice of Intention to appear before the inquiry here.

Meanwhile, the inquiry’s chairman Ciaran Lynch said that members were working on how they would engage with former European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet when he addresses a meeting in Dublin on 30 April.

This event will be made available to watch live online, he said, while a written transcript would also be made available afterwards.

Mr Lynch also gave details of a planned “informal exchange” between members of the Oireachtas and current deputy president at the ECB, Vítor Constancio.

He said this would likely see Mr Constancio appearing before a meeting of the Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, which members of the banking inquiry would participate in.

The Banking Inquiry has also provided an update on its costs, with a breakdown showing that €2m has been spent so far.

The inquiry is budgeted to cost €5m in total. 

Three quarters of the running costs so far relate to pay for inquiry staff.