Cowen seeks to hide policies from bank probe

BRIAN COWEN is seeking to prevent the banking inquiry from examining the policies he implemented as Finance Minister which added “fuel to the fire” and helped stoke the crisis in the sector.

Two devastating preliminary reports published yesterday found that policies adopted by the Government during the boom helped cause the overheating of the economy and the subsequent banking crisis.

They laid bare Mr Cowen’s culpability as Finance Minister from 2004 to 2008, when the Government failed to apply the brakes and rein in spending.