AIB boss talks repossessions as staff attend a drum class

AS AIB chief executive David Duffy was outlining before the Dáil’s Finance Committee how his bank planned to repossess more homes from families, some of his most senior managers were being treated to an allexpenses-paid drumming class.

And this weekend the bank, which was bailed out by taxpayers to the tune of €20bn, refused to reveal how much was spent on what it described as a ‘staff day’ held two months ago.

Dozens of senior staff from all over the country were brought to a Dublin hotel where they received instructions on how to play drums. It is believed that the event was held on April 9, the day Mr Duffy was assuring members of the Oireachtas that the bank would pass stress tests organised by the European Central Bank and would not need any more State aid.

A source revealed: ‘There were managers from all over the country there that day, I don’t know exactly how many were there but there were certainly dozens of people. We were more than surprised that as part of the team-building that we were given drumming classes.

‘While we were having drumming classes David Duffy was before the Oireachtas Finance Committee talking about how the bank was getting tough with people who had fallen behind in their mortgage repayments and talking about repossessing more homes. No one put their hands in the pocket that day. It was all paid for,’ the source added.

AIB received the most State aid when it was bailed out after the property crash in 2008. And last March, its executives claimed that during the first three months of this year the bank had turned a corner and had returned to profit.

This weekend, when asked about senior staff receiving drum classes, an AIB spokeswoman said: ‘A meeting did take place to discuss bank policy and the bank’s plan for the future and general strategy. We don’t normally discuss staff meetings, that’s all I can say.

‘It was a staff meeting, they are not just an away day, they are serious business meetings.’