Gilmore says bank directors must answer questions in public forum

The Tánaiste has said that Alan Dukes and other public interest directors in banks must answer what they did around the banking crisis.

It comes after Sinn Féin accused the former Fine Gael leader who became chairman of Anglo Irish Bank of "singing dumb" by not reporting material to the Central Bank.

Eamon Gilmore said that Mr Dukes and all other public interest directors have to be allowed to explain their roles - at a banking inquiry.

"I think that the question about who knew what and what did they do about it, whether they were directors of the bank or whether they were senior managers of the bank, are fair questions," he said.

"And I think that those questions need to be asked and put to the people concerned in a puclic forum."