Urgent Response needed from Taoiseach on Anglo contacts – FF Leader

-Taoiseach appears to have misled Dáil on extent of personal relationship with bank-

Fianna Fáil Leader Micheál Martin has called on Taoiseach Enda Kenny to come forward and explain the behaviour revealed in emails reported in this morning’s Sunday Independent.

The newspaper reports how the then-Leader of the Opposition was in proactive contact with senior management of the bank to brief them on Government strategy towards Anglo.

Deputy Martin commented, “This would appear to be a very serious development.  In recent weeks, we watched as the Taoiseach reacted to the Anglo Tapes, undermined the independence of an Oireachtas Inquiry and compromised his office in talking about an ‘Axis of Collusion’ without a scrap of evidence.

“This morning, the Taoiseach is left red faced as it emerges that he was actually engaged in personal informal contact with Anglo senior management.  This morning’s revelations also suggest that the Taoiseach deliberately misled the Dáil in response to the Anglo Tape story, when he talked about his personal contact with Anglo.  The only example he cited was a meeting in September 2008.

“Another question which arises is where Mr Kenny received the information he was passing on to Anglo.  If it was based on confidential briefings from the Finance Minister Brian Lenihan, it raises further questions about Mr Kenny’s behaviour.

“Unlike Mr Kenny, Fianna Fáil is committed to due process.  The Taoiseach needs to make a comprehensive statement explaining the revelations in the media report and he needs to do so immediately.”