Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Can the Deputy Leader outline the current position of the banking inquiry? There was much fanfare when the Government took office that it was going to deal with the rogue bankers who brought the country to its knees. However, almost two years later we have not seen any significant results from the banking inquiry. Can we invite the Minister for Finance to the House to discuss the up-to-date position of the banking inquiry?

Linked to that is the issue of the massive salaries being paid to bankers in this country, including salaries of more than ¤200,000 per annum being paid to 12 senior officials in the National Asset Management Agency, NAMA. NAMA is an interesting organisation. We tried to bring forward a Bill dealing with transparency in NAMA but it was voted down by Fine Gael and the Labour Party. I hope they will reconsider their position when they hear what I say next and that they will support the Bill when we re-introduce it. Officials are leaving NAMA as well as joining it. Two senior officials that were involved in the HSBC violation, in which that bank repeatedly violated anti-moneylaundering rules and accepted billions of dollars from drug cartels resulting in it having to pay the US Government ¤2 billion, are now employed by NAMA.