Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 38: To ask the Minister for Finance the extent to which he or his Department was aware of efforts made to present a misleading impression of the balance sheet and accounts of Anglo Irish Bank. [25694/10]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Directors of the bank are responsible for the preparation of financial statements including the balance sheet and accounts. Further, independent auditors audit the financial statements in accordance with the relevant legal and regulatory requirements and international standards as adopted by the European Union and report in this context.

Neither I as Minister for Finance nor my Department ever approved of the transaction referred to in the Deputy's question nor had I or my Department any role in it.

As the Deputy will be aware in April 2009, Irish Life and Permanent confirmed that none of the Central Bank, the Financial Regulator or the Department of Finance had approved the transaction. Once I became aware of the transaction I referred the issue to the Financial Regulator.

This issue is currently under investigation by the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) and the Garda authorities, and is a matter for the Garda Síochána and the ODCE. The Deputy will appreciate these investigations must be allowed to take their course and in that context it is important to ensure that no comment is made that has any potential whatsoever to prejudice future civil or criminal actions.