Public and firms can seek bank probe input

Members of the public and private firms including banks will be allowed ask that certain Oireachtas members be barred from sitting on the banking inquiry because they may be biased.

The Irish Examiner has obtained draft guidelines for the setting up of new Oireachtas inquiries which also allow committees to seek new laws or extend the remit of a probe down the line.

TDs were told this week by Oireachtas officials that the cost of the banking inquiry is likely to be a minimum of €3.6m for any investigation which would last until the end of the lifetime of the current Dáil.