TDS AND SENATORS on the banking inquiry will have all their electronic devices confiscated prior to viewing the draft report into the financial crisis.
The 11 members of the Oireachtas banking inquiry are due to get first sight of the draft report from next Monday.
But members have been informed they will not be allowed bring any electronic equipment with them. It means TDs and Senators will be checked that they do not have devices such as iPhones, iPads, and laptops on their person.
Inquiry sources pointed out that while this may prevent ‘live’ leaking as they view the draft report, members will still theoretically be able to make notes from their viewing of the report and leak selectively.
One source pointed out that it has always been the case that electronics are confiscated when inquiry members visit the committee’s secretariat at its offices in Agriculture House on Kildare Street.
The committee is chaired by Labour’s Ciarán Lynch. It’s membership includes Fine Gael TDs Eoghan Murphy, John Paul-Phelan and Kieran O’Donnell. Representing the opposition are Fianna Fáil’s Micheal McGrath, Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty and Socialist Joe Higgins.
The committee also includes senators Susan O’Keeffe (Labour), Micheal Darcy (Fine Gael), Seán Barrett (independent) and Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fáil).
The committee has been finalising the detail of its report since it concluded public hearings in early September having heard from 128 witnesses over 49 days’ of sittings.
This included hearing evidence from former taoisigh Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen as well as several former and current senior bankers during hours of public sessions.
On top of this the committee sat for hours and hours of private meetings deep in the bowels of Leinster House.
The committee is now working on its report into the banking crisis. It is due to be finalised towards the end of this month and published on 19 January.
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