Cowen let bankers ‘write their own rules’

BANKERS were given the green light by Brian Cowen to write their own rules when he was finance minister, Labour last night said.

Eamon Gilmore again tried to personally blame Mr Cowen for the banking crisis by claiming the Taoiseach insisted on light-touch regulation of the financial sector.

The Labour leader pointed to the setting-up of a financial forum two and a half years ago on which bankers were invited to be advisers, as proof that Mr Cowen ceded too much power to others.