Banking inquiry workload concerns

The long-awaited banking inquiry could be further stalled after a key Oireachtas committee said it had concerns about its workload and whether it could finish up before the next general election.

The Oireachtas Committee on Procedure and Privileges met last night and made its final conclusions on proposals for the inquiry.

Members said they were concerned about the extent and timeframe of the probe and if it will be able to conclude its work by the end of 2015, as has been proposed. The next general election is set to take place in spring 2016.

The committee made its conclusions on a plan submitted by the Oireachtas banking inquiry, headed by Labour TD Ciaran Lynch. Committee members said its workload could be too much. One source said: “It could be too short a time for what it wants to do. It may not get through the whole lot. But it can’t go beyond the next election.”

The committee’s concerns may mean a delay in the final plans going before the Dáil for approval, which in turn could delay the start of the inquiry.