Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 11 March 2015

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis

Context Phase

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

On page 2 of her statement Professor Hardiman argues that "privileged groups should not be able to gain preferential access to decision-making in ways that would distort considerations of public interest." I ask her to enlighten the committee on how to define this; how the public would know and how we can protect ourselves in that type of scenario, that is, where there is privileged access to decision-making?

There have been well-documented instances from the past where the Taoiseach of the country met with senior directors of banks and the regulator and sought their opinions on budgetary matters but it was claimed that banking matters were not discussed. How can we define whether that was an appropriate meeting? Alternatively, was it a case of, as Professor Hardiman suggests, privileged groups being able to have preferential access to decision making?

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