Michael Noonan: I was never threatened by the ECB

Michael Noonan has denied being threatened by the head of the European Central Bank (ECB) — but claims his predecessor Brian Lenihan was.

Mr Noonan yesterday denied he misled the Dáil and reiterated that he had not been threatened by former ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet despite the Banking Inquiry finding otherwise.

It comes as Social Democrats TD, Stephen Donnelly, called for the finance minister’s resignation over contradictions between a speech he made in the Dáil, and his comments to the Oireachtas Banking Inquiry about apparent threats made to him by Mr Trichet.