The inspectors appointed to investigate the affairs of Ansbacher (Cayman) Ltd are:

Mr Justice Declan Costello who is the former president of the High Court. He retired at the end of 1997 after a lengthy career in politics and the law. A former Fine Gael attorney general and the principal author of the party's Just Society document of the mid-1960s, he also established the Law Reform Commission and the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Ms Noreen Mackey was called to the Bar in 1985. After some years of practising as a barrister, she took up a position with the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, then moved back to Dublin to be legal adviser to the Competition Authority. She is due to begin employment in the Office of the Parliamentary Draftsman next month.

Mr Paul Rowan is a former senior partner with Price Waterhouse in Belfast, and retired last December. As a chartered accountant and a licensed insolvency practitioner in Britain and Northern Ireland, Mr Rowan has extensive experience of investigating the affairs of companies.