Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 July 2013
222. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance if he is satisfied with the admission from the former public interest director at Anglo Irish Bank, Mr. Alan Dukes, that he was aware of the existence of the Anglo tapes, that he had been briefed on the content of the tapes and that he did not see fit to inform the ongoing investigations into Anglo, the Central Bank or the Government of the tapes. [34300/13]
View answer224. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance if he is satisfied that after admitting he was aware of the content of the Anglo tapes, the former public interest director at Anglo Irish Bank, Mr. Alan Dukes, did not see fit to suspend and investigate the employees recorded on the tapes following his appointment as chair of Irish Bank Resolution Corporation in 2010. [34302/13]
View answer226. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance his views that, in his role as public interest director at Anglo Irish Bank, Mr. Alan Dukes should have informed the Nyberg banking commission of the existence of recorded telephone conversations in Anglo Irish Bank and made those tapes available to it. [34327/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 222, 224 and 226 together.
I am satisfied that Mr Dukes in his position as public interest director from December 2008 and later as Chairman of IBRC has co-operated fully and openly with all ongoing investigations into the bank. As the Deputy is aware there are a number of investigations progressing into Anglo Irish Bank which the Board and senior management of Anglo/IBRC have fully co-operated with to date. During his time with the bank they have provided a vast amount of information to the Chartered Accountants Regulatory Body (CARB), Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation (GBFI), Office of Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE), the then Financial Regulator (FR) and the Nyberg Banking Commission to assist with each of those investigations this included the provision of certain recordings to the GBFI.
The role of a public interest director is not to interfere or direct the investigations that are being conducted by the appropriate authorities into Anglo Irish Bank or any other Irish Bank. It would be completely inappropriate for a public interest director to act outside of his or her legal powers and interfere with any investigation that could compromise potential future criminal or civil investigations by the bodies responsible under statute. Mr Dukes in his roles with Anglo-IBRC has facilitated the investigations to the maximum possible extent and that all material required by the authorities was supplied. It was important during the course of the investigations that staff rights were protected and that due process was followed whilst ensuring the authorities got the information they required.
