Lightbulb moment illuminates inquiry

Elaine Byrne Probing questions at the banking inquiry raise the issue of what exactly the government knew about Anglo’s finances before the bank guarantee

Elaine Byrne

The narrative in these early days of the banking inquiry is that this long-awaited exercise serves only to return to the groundhog days of the Wright, Regling and Watson, Honohan and Nyberg reports. “Sure, don’t we know all this already?” is the refrain. The novelty of the banking inquiry is slowly drifting off the front pages.

But a jigsaw puzzle of a thousand pieces is drudgery, tedious work. The overall picture from all ...