Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses. There is a sense of déjà vu about this meeting. The CEO of Bank of Ireland, Mr. Richie Boucher, was before the committee a couple of weeks ago. The witnesses today must be using the same PR people. They have the same approach. They are going all over the shop and stonewalling. The public is looking in and I suspect is immensely frustrated. The witnesses are seasoned professionals who have attended before many committees and know how to handle them. They should have left that way of doing things at the door and attended with the intention of telling the public what it needs to hear. The witnesses joined the board of the bank in January 2009 and Mr. Boucher was appointed CEO in February of the same year. My understanding was that his appointment was unanimously agreed by the board.