Cabinet to meet with Attorney General to discuss delay in IBRC inquiry

Emergency laws could be agreed by Cabinet this morning, to salvage the Commission of Investigation into IBRC.

Ministers will meet to discuss the fallout after the Commission's chairman said he did not have the power to demand the necessary documents from the bank.

This morning is also be the first time that ministers will hear from the Attorney General, Máire Whelan.

The Opposition have questioned why the legal problems around client privilege were not flagged earlier - and whether she should have been able to deal with them before now.

The Government had hoped the Commission of Investigation into IBRC would be able to do its business behind closed doors, and issue a report at Christmas.

But today the Government will discuss the prospect that the inquiry will now be delayed until after the election - and consider last-ditch efforts to get it back on track.

Emergency laws could be among the measures considered, but it is not clear whether they could apply retrospectively.

That might mean the commission would have to be collapsed and reconvened - but even doing that might not satisfy the constitutional issues involved.