Michael Noonan ‘not aware’ of Central Bank warning

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said he is not aware of any specific Central Bank warning to Taoiseach Enda Kenny about the need to place soldiers on banks’ doors, despite confirming general security issues were discussed.

Speaking at a European People’s Party meeting in Madrid on Thursday, Mr Kenny claimed outgoing Central Bank governor Prof Patrick Honohan told him after Fine Gael came to power in early 2011, Ireland needed to introduce capital controls including placing the army on ATM and banks due to the precarious financial situation.

“The governor told me ‘it looks like this weekend, you’ll have to put the army around the banks and ATM machines, and introduce capital controls like in Cyprus,” he said, adding the story shows “we’ve pulled back from the brink”.