Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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144. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when he expects a banking enquiry to be started in order that all the information from the decision to guarantee the banks will be publicly known; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32319/13]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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As the Deputy will be aware, I strongly support the objective of undertaking an effective and legally robust parliamentary banking inquiry. I wish to advise the Deputy that the Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Bill 2013 is expected to be enacted before the summer recess. The Bill establishes a comprehensive statutory underpinning for the Oireachtas to conduct inquiries within the current constitutional framework.

The Bill envisages a central role for the Oireachtas in both initiating and conducting a parliamentary inquiry. Under the Bill, responsibility is assigned exclusively to the Houses of the Oireachtas to determine the requirement for a formal inquiry, the terms of reference of that inquiry, the appropriate committee to conduct an inquiry and the procedural and organisational aspects of the inquiry.