By Daniel McConnell Political Editor
The report of the Banking Inquiry will be published by the houses of the Oireachtas next month.
The €5m Oireachtas Banking Inquiry has signed off on its final report clearing the way for a general election in the last week of February.
Inquiry members met today to discuss 33 detailed submissions from so-called interested parties, who gave evidence at hearings earlier on the year.
During the meeting, which lasted five hours, members agreed to make some changes to the final report, but sources have said any changes made were minor, and there was no substantial alteration to the text, tone or tenor of the final report.
In a statement, Committee Chairman Ciaran Lynch (pictured) said: “As required under legislation, a number of individuals and institutions were sent copies of the report and were entitled to respond to sections relating to them. We have now completed this part of the process of reviewing the responses and submissions received and have agreed and signed off on our final report.
“As the first committee to carry out its work under new legislation, we were entrusted to examine one of the major events in the history of this State, a crisis which has impacted on every household in Ireland."
He said agreement on the final report “reflects the positive and constructive approach” members adopted throughout the process.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Committee members for their hard work and commitment throughout the inquiry and in agreeing and signing off on a final report,” he added.
On Monday, the Inquiry will write to any party affected by the changes in text and a 21 day window will begin to allow any legal challenge be lodged. Should no challenge be lodged, it is expected
The working date for publication of the final report is January 27.
Once the report is published, the way will be clear for Taoiseach Enda Kenny to call the General Election in late February. The Banking Inquiry has been embroiled in controversy in recent months and it was feared on a number occasions that the final report would not be completed before the general election.
The first draft of the report was rejected by committee members. A team lead by Fine Gael TD Eoghan Murphy and Labour Senator Susan O’Keeffe drafted a new condensed version.