THE GREEN PARTY has this evening confirmed that Taoiseach Brian Cowen is to make “a comprehensive statement” in the Dáil this Wednesday on his meetings with Anglo Irish Bank chairman Seán FitzPatrick.

Confirmation of Cowen’s statement, which will be made at Leader’s Question in the Dáil when the Oireachtas returns from the Christmas recess this Wednesday morning, came after Cowen spoke with Green Party leader John Gormley this evening.

Cowen had come under pressure to clarify the nature of his relationship with FitzPatrick, who resigned as chairman of the bank in December 2008 as it emerged the bank had concealed millions of euro in loans to him and to other high-ranking officers of the bank.

It was reported in yesterday’s Sunday Times that FitzPatrick and Cowen had played golf together and had dinner in July 2008; FitzPatrick also said he had spoken to Cowen in March 2008, when he was Minister for Finance, about the bank’s plummeting share prices and its outstanding loans to businessman Seán Quinn.

Cowen had confirmed both meetings, but said that the meeting in July – which came just weeks before the government introduced its wide-ranging bank guarantee scheme – was a social occasion and that the bank’s affairs were not discussed.

Labour finance spokesperson Joan Burton had said she was “deeply concerned” over the relevations, which are contained in a book written by Sunday Times writers Tom Lyons and Brian Carey, and insisted that it was “beyond belief” to suggest that “there was no discussion… of the rapidly deteriorating position of the bank” when the two had met.

Are you satisfied with the Taoiseach’s explanation? Have your say in our poll >