GREEN PARTY leader and Minister for the Environment John Gormley has said the names of the 10 individuals who borrowed €300 million from Anglo Irish Bank to buy 10 per cent of its shares should be made public if it is legally possible.
The Government, which insists that it does not have the names of the 10 individuals, last night responded to Opposition charges that it was hiding their identities.
“Consideration is being given as to whether it is legally possible to obtain the names from anybody other than the Financial Regulator, or to make the disclosure in any other way,” said a Government spokesman.
He had earlier pointed to the confidentiality conditions in the 1942 Central Bank Act that prevented any official release of the names.
It is understood the Government may be considering an approach to Anglo to see if the bank can persuade the investors to disclose their names voluntarily.
Mr Gormley said last night the Greens had put direct questions to Taoiseach Brian Cowen and Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan and were satisfied that they did not know the identities of the individuals concerned.
The Green Party leader added he was satisfied that no Cabinet member had encouraged the deal, even by implication.
The annual report of Anglo Irish Bank will be published today, as will the section of the PricewaterhouseCoopers report on the banking system dealing with the bank. Tánaiste Mary Coughlan said in the Dáil yesterday that the 10 will not be named in either report.
Last night Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny called on the Taoiseach to name the 10 to give the Irish banking system a clear start.
“The public deserve to know who they are bailing out in Anglo. They are entitled to know. The Taoiseach should recognise that and publish the names of the Anglo golden circle,” said Mr Kenny.