The Government has been accused of “hiding” behind GDPR rules to prevent transparency and accountability after it emerged it will no longer release details of pension payments to former senior office holders.

The effects of rash decisions taken in the last two days of September 2008 would have ramifications for the next decade, writes Political Editor Daniel McConnell.

The warning signs were there, and yet when it came to the crunch, the bank guarantee caught many by surprise, writes Political Editor Daniel McConnell.

We have a great country full of hard-working people that needs fixing. Doing that will not be easy, but letting it continue along the path it is now on will bankrupt us, writes John McGuinness on the 10th anniversary of the banking bailout.

Former taoiseach Brian Cowen has criticised Leo Varadkar for showing “inexperience” and called on him to “act in an adult way” when negotiating with Fianna Fáil.

Former taoiseach Brian Cowen has warned Britain that it risks crashing out of the Brexit talks — damaging Ireland in the process — unless it finds a solution to its Irish border stance which he said simply “defies logic”.

The founding president of the University of Limerick is sending his honorary doctorate in the post back to the National University of Ireland, after failing to receive a formal response from it.

They decided to devote it all - all of the resources they inherited - to buying every election they possibly could, writes Fergus Finlay

The degree was an opportunity for Cowen to make a speech. A lengthy speech. Fifty minutes, writes Terry Prone

Edward Walsh, who received the honorary degree in 1998, has criticised the NUI's recognition of Mr Cowen.

Former Taoiseach Brian Cowen is one of a number of Irish investors involved in a dispute with an English law firm which advised them when they bought student flats in Leeds.

A senior Fianna Fáil TD has controversially claimed former taoiseach Brian Cowen and the late former finance minister Brian Lenihan “put country before party” in the decisions they imposed during the economic crash.

Members of the Banking Inquiry are meeting again today to review the responses to the draft report.

The friend and advisor to former Taoiseach Brian Cowen said if he wanted to lobby him it wouldn't have been on a golf course in July 2008.

A Fianna Fáil senator has said that Greece needed the 'steady hand' of Brian Cowen and Brian Lenihan to save the country from financial crisis.

After a make or break fortnight which saw ousted ex-taoiseach Brian Cowen take centre stage, the banking inquiry has still to find any smoking gun for what caused the 2008 crash.

GOLF swings, gulf-streams, and gold-plated pension schemes have all done their bit to demean the office of Taoiseach.

Former Taoiseach Brian Cowen said he would have no problem giving up a pension raise he is due under legislation on public sector pay.

Fianna Fáil has accused Taoiseach Enda Kenny of “demeaning his office” by calling on Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen to refuse big pension increases.

For too long sorry seemed to be the hardest word to utter in Irish public life. But that is no longer the case. The advent of the banking inquiry means no one week seems complete without at least one being uttered along with a public beating of the chest, well more like a gentle palpitating.

Former Taoiseach Brian Cowen has claimed Ireland bounced back from its devastating financial collapse quicker because of his spending spree; More than 400 jobseekers were interviewed for just 60 positions at the country’s newest McDonald’s restaurant; Ireland is poised to become an €8 billion ‘green energy’ hub.  Just some of the latest and most read stories on irishexaminer.com

Brian Cowen called a senior economist who took part in a golf excursion with him and Anglo Irish directors for advice on the night of the bank guarantee – the only external expert who was asked for their opinion.

Brian Cowen’s appearance at the banking inquiry yesterday was more assured than last week but his testimony showed a serious lack of curiosity at times during the crisis, writes Michael Clifford.

Brian Cowen said he never breached the public’s trust when he was taoiseach, as he outlined to the banking inquiry how Ireland was pressurised into entering a bailout programme.

Former Taoiseach Brian Cowen has claimed Ireland bounced back from its devastating financial collapse quicker because of his spending spree while in office.

Former Taoiseach Brian Cowen has defended the decision to go with the bank guarantee in September 2008; mother of student who has been missing since he was swept into the sea at Baltimore last week has made an emotional appeal for more divers to help find her son; Harry Shearer, voice of Mr Burns in The Simpsons will be back in the role of the evil nuclear power plant boss. Just some of the latest and most read stories on irishexaminer.com.

Former taoiseach Brian Cowen is expected this week to back previous suggestions that Ireland was “bounced” into a bailout.

Brian Cowen and Bertie Ahern are to have thousands of euros added to their six-figure pensions.

In a marathon testimony to the Banking Inquiry, Brian Cowen blamed the banks, the regulators, the global economic crisis, the opposition, a lack of power, a lack of choices and a range of other factors for the country’s woes.

The infamous “soft landing” prediction for the stumbling Irish economy was not based on any specific analysis or internal Department of Finance reports.

Brian Cowen attended a private Anglo Irish function a month after the St Patrick’s Day 2008 Irish stock exchange crisis and a fortnight before becoming taoiseach, but insisted he was never lobbied for a bank guarantee.

Contrary to popular belief, what Brian Cowen’s appearance at the banking inquiry demonstrated is that sorry is not the hardest word.

He threw his hands up now and again in deference to wisdom after the event, writes Michael Clifford

Brian Cowen has denied that the government were "on autopilot" in the midst of the financial crisis.

There have been feisty exchanges at the banking inquiry where former Taoiseach Brian Cowen was giving evidence.

Former Taoiseach Brian Cowen is giving evidence to the Banking Inquiry today.

After eight years, €64bn in bailout money, dozens of banking inquiry witnesses, and one hugely controversial blanket guarantee, former taoiseach Brian Cowen will finally give his side of the story on what caused the economic crisis.

Former taoiseach Brian Cowen “already had a preference” for a “broad” bank guarantee before the infamous September 29, 2008, meeting which led to the multi-billion euro deal — and overruled then finance minister Brian Lenihan’s concerns.

Former Taoisigh Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen are still receiving ministerial pensions worth over €80,000 a year.

A former cabinet colleague of ex-taoiseach Brian Cowen has heavily criticised a small group who videoed themselves surrounding the former TD before calling him a “scumbag” and a “traitor”, saying the attack is an affront to democracy.

A new phase of the banking inquiry that will see former politicians called to give evidence gets underway this morning.

Former Taoiseach Brian Cowen has accepted that mistakes were made in the handling of the controversial bank guarantee of 2008.

Former taoiseach Brian Cowen last night said there was never any question of his overruling finance minister Brian Lenihan’s views at the time of the State bank guarantee of 2008.

Former Taoiseach Brian Cowen and ex-finance minister Charlie McCreevy will be ordered to attend long-awaited public banking inquiry grillings within eight weeks in correspondence to be sent later today.