Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

My question was about write-down. I am going to move on because my time is limited. There has been much discussion in this committee about the role of public interest directors, the appointment of which Sinn Féin believes was a token gesture and a farce. The idea was that there would be people on the boards of directors of the banks who would not be allowed to act in the public interest but would be public interest directors. Mr. MacSharry and everyone else here know that under the stabilisation Act every director must act in the public interest and must protect the taxpayer. The late Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan, said he would consult with the Opposition parties on the possible candidates for appointment as public interest directors. He did not consult with Sinn Féin on this matter. Those appointed include three former assistant secretaries of Departments and four former Ministers, including two former Tánaistí from across the political divide.

I want to put the following on record. During the past five years, Ms Hayes and Mr. MacSharry received €271,000 and €239,000, respectively, by way of remuneration as public interest directors. During that same period Mr. MacSharry, as a former Minister, received €445,000. He is also a former EU Commissioner and Governor of the Central Bank. I do not know what salaries he may have received in that regard. Ms Hayes also serves as chairperson and as a member of other public boards. Perhaps they would spell out for the committee the total remuneration package they have received from the public purse.

Mr. MacSharry said that his task is to help challenge the culture which has so clearly taken over the boardrooms of our financial institutions. Was Mr. MacSharry ever a non-executive member of the Bank of Ireland?