The Government was unaware of the extent of the files about the banking collapse in the possession of the Department of Finance until the Garda investigation into Anglo Irish Bank, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said. Speaking in Berlin he expressed confidence that the extensive material available would become the subject of public discourse.

Asked if he would take action to ensure that the Department of Finance files on Anglo were released Mr Kenny said: "Nobody was aware of the extent of these files until the kind of behaviour going on became the subject of Garda activity." He added that warrants were served and the Anglo tapes were sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

“Those books of evidence are being prepared and charges being proferred against individuals. I am quite sure this very, very extensive material will become the subject of public discourse and debate either through a form of inquiry that Government may decide to set up or whatever criminal investigations and trials take place. I understand a number of those are scheduled for next year.”

Mr Kenny added that books of evidence were now being prepared and all the available files were part of that analysis. “What people want to see here is that justice be done. It is not a matter for the Oireachtas or for any parliamentary inquiry to bring people to court or dispense justice from the courts.

“It is a completely independent matter for gardaí, the Director of Corporate Enforcement and DPP and serving of books of evidence is a quite independent process.”