AIB's chairman, Mr Lochlann Quinn, and group chief executive, Mr Tom Mulcahy, will be among the group of banking executives making an appearance before the Dail Committee of Public Accounts (PAC) next week. The PAC has called in the chairmen and chief executives of financial institutions which paid more than £1 million (€1.26 million) in respect of unpaid DIRT tax in the 1980s and 1990s and will ask them to outline the measures they have since adopted to ensure such widescale tax evasion will not happen in the future.

The financial institutions due to appear before the committee alongside AIB include: National Irish Bank, TSB Bank, Bank of Ireland, ACC Bank, Ulster Bank and Irish Life & Permanent. Some 37 financial institutions have made settlements in respect of unpaid DIRT tax, interest and penalties amounting to £173.3 million. AIB's settlement of £90 million was the highest.

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Jim Hamilton, will also face questions from the committee on the relatively low incidence of prosecution of white collar crime. PAC chairman Mr Jim Mitchell is likely to ask whether any of the financial institutions involved in tax evasion could face prosecution. Attorney General Mr Michael McDowell has been called to discuss the merits of the parliamentary inquiry compared with tribunals and whether any legislative changes are now warranted. Other witnesses to appear before the committee include the governor of the Central Bank, Mr Maurice O'Connell, and the chairman of the Revenue Commissioners, Mr Dermot Quigley.

Representatives from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department of Finance will also face the committee to report on progress on implementing the recommendations in the PAC report. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment will update the committee on the response from the accountancy profession on the Review group on Auditing.