The Dail has allocated an additional £1 million (€1.27 million) to cover the cost of the investigation by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) into the Revenue Commissioners, financial institutions and deposit interest retention tax (DIRT).

The chairman of the Committee of Public Accounts, Mr Jim Mitchell, said the £1 million will largely go on the fees of the outside auditors needed to access individual bank accounts. He said he was very conscious of the need to keep costs to a minimum, but emphasised that the funding is needed to ensure that the investigation is conducted at arm's length and could not be challenged on grounds of breach of any individual's right to privacy. He pointed out that the cost of the investigation can be recouped from financial institutions if circumstances warrant it.