It has taken almost seven years but the Irish public could finally get to hear from former Irish Nationwide chief executive Michael Fingleton about the building society's role in the financial crash after the Oireachtas Banking Inquiry on Tueday added his name to its list of witnesses.
A letter will be sent to Mr Fingleton on Wednesday, asking him to appear before the committee in July, along with several other former bank executives and senior politicians who were in place at the time of the crash.
The Irish Times has learned that these include Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who led Fine Gael in opposition at the time; former taoiseach Bertie Ahern; former tánaiste Mary Harney; and John Gormley, who led the Green Party in coalition with Fianna Fáil.
Opposition positions
Fine Gael Minister
Richard Bruton
and the
Labour
Party leader and Tánaiste
Joan Burton
, both of whom had finance portfolios in opposition, will also be called.
The list also includes Seán FitzPatrick, the former chairman of Anglo Irish Bank; David Drumm, Anglo's ex-chief executive; and Denis Casey, who led Irish Life & Permanent at the time of the crash in 2008.
Gillian Bowler, the former chair of IL&P, and Michael Walsh, who held the same role at Irish Nationwide, will also be sent letters.
It is understood Ajai Chopra, who led the IMF’s team that negotiated Ireland’s troika bailout, has agreed to appear in September.
The inquiry had initially steered clear of calling witnesses connected with Anglo, Irish Nationwide and IL&P due to various legal cases being pursued by the DPP, but has since had a change of heart.
