Banking inquiry to accept written statement of David Drumm

The banking inquiry has agreed to accept the written statement of former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm.

At a private session last night, the committee formally rejected Mr Drumm’s offer to give evidence by video link.

However, it agreed to accept the evidence the banker sent to committee members last week.

The full statement will be published at 6.30pm on Wednesday.

Apologised

In the correspondence, Mr Drumm had apologised to the people affected by the crash and to staff who worked with the bank.

He had also contradicted evidence given to the committee by former taoiseach Brian Cowen. The people he referenced in his written statement will be given the opportunity to respond.

It is unknown at this stage whether witnesses may be recalled at a future date.

This will be decided when all public hearings are concluded in September.

It is expected Mr Drumm’s statement will be published on the inquiry’s website on Wednesday.

A number of former Anglo executives, including Fintan Drury – who is referred to in Mr Drumm’s statement – will appear on Thursday.

It is expected he will be asked about claims that the former chief executive of Anglo Irish Bank and Mr Cowen discussed banking issues at a board dinner in April 2008.

The former taoiseach insisted there was no business discussed and it was a purely social occasion.

Mr Drumm claimed bank funding issues were debated between the two.

The inquiry also discussed concerns that the final report could be delayed due to an ongoing investigation into claims by a whistleblower.

The committee was due to report at the end of November but fears grew last night this could be pushed back until December.

A whistleblower has made a series of allegations about the investigation team working with the committee.

Senior counsel Senan Allen has been hired to probe the claims by the person who worked as an investigator with the committee.

Members admitted last night the final findings may be delayed until that investigation was complete.

Review

The inquiry also discussed a letter from Fianna Fáil Senator Marc MacSharry about revising the witness list.

He had called for a number of people, including another whistleblower who worked in the Department of Finance, Marie Mackle, to appear. However, the committee did not make a final decision on this.

Mr MacSharry has now written to Taoiseach Enda Kenny to seek an independent review into the allegations by the whistleblower.