Eddie Hobbs has resigned from the board of the National Consumer Agency (NCA).
He cited concerns over a loan given to fellow board-member Celia Larkin by former Irish Nationwide chief executive Michael Fingleton and the performance of the Minister for Enterprise Mary Coughlan, under whose authority the NCA is run.
Two directors of the NCA board must be replaced every year and, speaking on Morning Irelandtoday, Mr Hobbs said he had decided to put his name forward to be one of them.
He said Ms Larkin’s appearances at the Mahon Tribunal and a controversy over a €40,000 loan to her which had been personally fast-tracked by Mr Fingleton, had given rise to public concern about her position on the board.
He said he believe the one-time partner of former taoiseach Bertie Ahern should either resign or to continue her work on the board on a no-fee basis.
Mr Hobbs can be reappointed at the discretion of Ms Coughlan, who he has criticised in recent weeks.
He said if he was reappointed he would be willing to serve on the board but committed to doing so on no-fee basis.
All NCA board members receive fees of €14,000 as well as travel and subsistence expenses for attending around six board meetings every year.
Mr Hobbs said that the NCA had performed well since it was established two years ago but that public expectations about its role needed to be realistic.
He said the development of consumer advocacy in Ireland was a long-term project which would take up to 20 years to fully mature.
