Banking Inquiry to get legal advice on David Drumm's videolink offer

Members of the Banking Inquiry are to get legal advice about an offer from David Drumm to give evidence by videolink.

The former CEO of Anglo Irish Bank is currently living in the US, and has been invited to appear before the committee next Wednesday.

The inquiry's ability to compel witnesses does not extend outside this jurisdiction.

Sinn Féin finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty, who is a member of the committee, said they asked Mr Drumm for written evidence as well as a personal appearance.

He said: "He's not in breach of any of the Banking Inquiry directions at this point of time, although he has informed us that he will not appear at the Banking Inquiry and has offered to do that by videolink.

"The committee has accepted his written statement, so the evidence has been accepted by the committee.

"The question to ask ourselves now is 'Do we want to test that evidence or do we want to just leave it as his written statement?'"

Renua Ireland leader Lucinda Creighton later said that Mr Drumm should not be facilitated in this manner.

"I have, I suppose, a difficulty with that," she said.

"He is someone the State is trying to extradite at the moment, I don't believe that [videolink] would be appropriate, in the same way that I didn't think it was appropriate that the Banking Inquiry shipped up to Dublin Castle to speak to Mr [former European Central Bank Jean-Claude] Trichet.

"I think that there has to be some degree of respect for a national parliament, and this is a banking inquiry that is mandated by our national parliament and I think Mr Drumm should appear before it in person."