A Government Minister last night called for AIB to appear before the Finance Committee to answer questions on an alleged debt write down for DJ Carey.
Fine Gael’s Neale Richmond described as “worrying” the scale of the Kilkenny hurling legend’s reported settlement with the bank in 2017.
RTE reported that documents seen by its Prime Time team showed Mr Carey, 52, secured an alleged settlement resulting in a debt of over €9.5million being written down to €60,000.
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The bank had previously secured a High Court judgment for the €9.5million, most of it arising from a €7.85million loan on properties at Mount Juliet and the K Club.
It said the payment represented a settlement of just 0.63% of the original amount owed to AIB bank, which is majority State-owned and was bailed out by taxpayers.
RTE reported how the 99.37% reduction of Mr Carey’s debt was described in a settlement document as a “compromise”.
Mr Richmond, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, said he would like to see AIB answer questions on the scale of the alleged write down.
Speaking on RTE Radio, he said: “Anyone reading that story overnight, it is extremely worrying.
“Personally, I’d like to see AIB come before the Finance Committee to lay out exactly the nature of this and indeed address the question – were there other write downs?
“And to explain and to have a debate.”
He added: “While the State have an effective ownership they didn’t have policy direction over the bank.”
Mr Carey, who won nine All Star awards in his career, has yet to comment.
Speaking on RTE’s Colm O Mongain show People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd-Barrett said: “On the face of it, it is absolutely extraordinary.
“I mean just think of the hardship that so many people went through, homes being repossessed, people being chased for every cent when they were being crucified with unemployment and austerity.
“It seriously begs the question: Is there one law for the rich against what everyone else had to endure during that period?
“And for it to be in a bank that had been bailed out by the people, that was owned by the people, we need to get to the bottom of it.”
Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore said: “I think it’s extraordinary, and I think a lot of people would really be scratching their heads and wondering why this settlement was made.
“I think it will be really upsetting for so many families that were chased during that period by banks.”
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