Cowen vows to ‘willingly cooperate’

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen has promised to “willingly cooperate” with the banking inquiry which could examine his former role as minister for finance in the years leading up to the collapse.

Mr Cowen was accused of wanting to hold most of the inquiry in private as a “self-protection racket” and dragging it out until after the next general election.

But he responded that he had “no problem” answering to the inquiry which will involve the drafting of two reports followed by a commission of investigation, with a possible Oireachtas inquiry later.