FF spokesman calls on US to extradite Drumm

Fianna Fáil TD Michael McGrath has today called on US authorities to extradite former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm back to Ireland.

The call from the party's spokesperson on public expenditure and financial sector reform comes after following reports this week that Mr Drumm is refusing to co-operate with investigations by the gardaí and the Director of Corporate Enforcement.

"David Drumm, as Anglo’s Head of Lending between 2003 and 2005 and then as chief executive of Anglo up to 2008, is a key player in the catastrophic Irish banking crisis," said Mr McGrath.

"The bank that he led has cost the taxpayer almost €30bn. For him not to co-operate with the investigations is to give the two fingers to the Irish people. This is an affront to our citizens and to the democratic institutions in this State and he must not be allowed to get away with it.

"Mr Drumm has fled to the US, and seems determined to evade his responsibility to answer key questions about some of the practices he presided over at Anglo Irish Bank. The Government needs to use every legal means possible to ensure Mr Drumm is held accountable for his actions.

“I am calling on the Minister for Justice Alan Shatter to make a statement on the options available to the authorities to ensure they have access to any person abroad wanted for questioning in connection with the banking investigations."