Noonan talks tough as he demands ECB attends banking inquiry

The Minister for Finance Michael Noonan has called on the ECB to "man up" and take questions at the Oireachtas banking inquiry.

Minister Noonan says its vital that the ECB should take questions about its role in the collapse.

The bank is reluctant to take part in the Oireachtas inquiry, with president Mario Draghi saying that it usually answers to the European Parliament and not to national politicians.

However, Minister Noonan has rejected that statement.

"It's a bit of a cop out to say we have democratic responsibility to the European Parliament," he said.

"They were so involved in this particular issue and there was such a direction of policy from Frankfurt, I think they should man up and appear before the inquiry and answer the questions."