The Oireachtas Banking Inquiry is preparing to compel some witnesses to attend to give evidence about the economic crisis.

Members have agreed a protocol for bringing witnesses before the committee for the inquiry’s Nexus phase, scheduled to begin in April.

To date, expert witnesses who have been invited to speak about the origins of the crisis have appeared willingly.

However, the Committee now expects it will have to compel some individuals and institutions with roles in the banking crisis to appear.

“This phase of our hearings will have an increased reliance on compellability and evidence,” chairman Ciaran Lynch said.

“The Committee will engage with institutions and individuals who had roles during the crisis and will concentrate on the responsibilities and decisions of the witnesses called.”

The committee met in private. Afterwards, Mr Lynch said members were updated on “the ongoing consideration of opportunities to engage with the European Central Bank (ECB)”.

Earlier this month, Central Bank governor Patrick Honohan agreed to intercede with the ECB to see how it could help the inquiry with its work.

The Nexus hearings will be broken down into three parts, covering banking systems and practices; regulatory and supervisory systems and practices; and crisis management systems and policy responses.

Mr Lynch said the hearings were scheduled to start on April 22nd, with a total of 64 public hearings planned until September.

“It is envisaged that around 50 witnesses will be called to the public hearings,” he said.

He said witnesses sought would be listed and notified in tranches. “This will include the name, role, tenure, line of inquiry and proposed date for the hearing,” he added.