Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 170: To ask the Minister for Finance if he is satisfied that the financial advisers and the legal advisers to Government in the current banking crisis do not overlap with advisers to the various institutions and interested investors; and the measures being taken to ensure that there are no conflicts of interest. [44759/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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In an economy the size of Ireland's it is not unusual that one of the larger financial or legal advisers has to deal with potential conflicts of interest arising from their representation of more than one client in the same sector. I have been assured by Merrill Lynch and Arthur Cox, who are providing financial and legal advice respectively on the banks guarantee scheme, that where potential conflicts arise they are dealt with through the application of well established 'Chinese Wall' structures which are overseen by their compliance departments. These 'Chinese Walls' operate as information barriers which ensure that any advice given to the Government is confidential and is provided by a team which is segregated from and independent of their work for other clients.