IRISH BANK Resolution Corporation chief executive Mike Aynsley has responded to concerns raised about its relationship with businessman Paddy McKillen, saying he is willing to meet an Oireachtas committee to discuss how it recovers debts from customers.

Mr Aynsley has written to the chairman of the Oireachtas finance committee, Labour TD Alex White, referring to recent media comment and saying “the judgment being exercised by IBRC in relation to debt recovery has been brought into question”.

It was reported last week that Fianna Fáil TD Michael McGrath asked Mr White whether Mr Aynsley should be invited to appear before the committee over issues arising from a High Court case taken by Mr McKillen in London.

In advance of an invitation, Mr Aynsley told Mr White that he and the bank’s chairman Alan Dukes would be willing to meet the committee to discuss how the former Anglo Irish Bank recovers loans.

It was crucial that there was no question in the minds of the State-owned bank’s “stakeholders” that it was “acting other than in the public interest at all times”.

They would “welcome the opportunity to meet with the members of the committee so they are assured that through the rigorous processes and multi-faceted governance that IBRC applies to the recovery of each and every loan, the best outcome for the taxpayer is being achieved in all instances.”

It emerged in Mr McKillen’s case against companies owned by David and Frederick Barclay arising from their takeover battle for the luxury Maybourne hotels that he owed IBRC €300 million, while firms with which he is connected owe a further €1 billion.

Mr McKillen told the court last week that he may not have told IBRC that he made €50 million from property sales last year at a time when IBRC asked for details of assets he could sell to raise cash for security on its debts.

It also emerged in the case that Mr Aynsley sent text messages to Mr McKillen last January to inform him the IBRC board had decided to work with him rather than deal with the Barclays but to keep this information confidential as he “can’t have board positions like this leaking out”.

Minister for Finance Michael Noonan said he wrote to Mr Dukes seeking assurances in relation to Mr Aynsley’s text messages.

In reply to a parliamentary question, Mr Noonan said that in the opinion of the bank the text messages were “an appropriate and necessary communication to confirm to the client the outcome of the board’s deliberation with regard to the future of his loans”.

The Minister said Mr Aynsley has the full support of the board.

Mr Noonan said he was told by the bank that text messaging is “a normal means of communicating with people quickly and efficiently in certain circumstances, in particular with clients who travel regularly and who do not have immediate access to email”.

Sinn Féin TD Gerry Adams asked why IBRC had adopted a competing position to the National Asset Management Agency, whose sale of €800 million of Maybourne’s debt Mr Killen is trying to reverse, when both institutions were being wound down and are trying to minimise losses.

“The bank’s decisions are based on its total client exposure and the optimum restructuring of its loans to secure maximum recovery for the State,” said Mr Noonan.

“IBRC therefore does not and should not, in normal course of business, make decisions based on independent courses of action chosen by Nama.”