Probe into banking inquiry after whistleblower claims

Oireachtas authorities are set to open an investigation into the cross-party banking inquiry after an internal whistleblower claimed some witnesses have received “preferential treatment” — including briefings over dinners days before public grillings.

The allegations of serious irregularities involving a small number of back-room inquiry members are understood to relate to previous evidence from the Central Bank and Department of Finance earlier this year.

The claims were initially made by an internal inquiry whistleblower in a one and a half page email in April, but have since been drawn up into a report over the affair.