Irish Nationwide campaigners claim the building society has canvassedillegally for support for the chief executive, writes Siobhán Creaton, Finance Correspondent.

Campaigners seeking reforms at Irish Nationwide have demanded the postponement of a motion of confidence in chief executive Mr Michael Fingleton claiming the society has illegally canvassed for support.

The group has lodged a complaint about the handling of the vote with the building society's chairman, Dr Michael Walsh, and the Central Bank's head of banking supervision, Mr Con Horan. It claims that canvassing is not permitted under the Building Societies Act.

After speaking to Irish Nationwide director Mr Con Power yesterday, campaigners Mr Brendan Burgess and Mr Shane Hogan said they understood the board "considers the canvassing to be a very serious matter" and it was being investigated by Dr Walsh.

The group insists the canvassing is unacceptable and illegal and believes there is no basis on which the vote of confidence in Mr Fingleton can go ahead today. A Central Bank spokesman confirmed it had received this complaint but said there was no basis for it to stop the meeting. "We think it is important that it goes ahead and that the issues we worked hard to get on the agenda are discussed."

He added it would investigate suggestions of breaches of procedure. "When we come across any breach of the law, we would take follow-up action," he added.

The Building Societies Act prohibits canvassing of support for a candidate for election before an a.g.m. Mr Burgess and Mr Hogan have asked Dr Walsh to announce that no poll will be taken at the meeting and that a separate postal ballot should be held.

They have further requested that the chairman disassociate himself and the other non-executives from the campaign.

Reports at the weekend suggested the motion of confidence could be approved by a ratio of more than five to one.

The campaigners claim that Irish Nationwide staff have been approaching members when they visit a branch to canvass for their votes or proxies ahead of today's annual meeting.

"One supporter was sent an additional proxy form to his home address, complete with a stamped address envelope. We have reports of staff being asked to work late in recent weeks to phone members and canvass their votes. We have one particularly disturbing report of a non-member being offered his expenses and a 'feed of drink' by a branch manager to go to the a.g.m. as a proxy because they need 'arses on seats'," it stated in its letter to the Central Bank.

They believe these incidents are representative of a wide-scale campaign of canvassing by the building society. In a further letter sent to the financial regulator yesterday, Mr Burgess and Mr Hogan state that Irish Nationwide's board of directors did not have details of the canvassing campaign until it e-mailed these accounts to Mr Power.

A spokesman for Irish Nationwide last night failed to return calls.