Our "private" but not "secret" Banking Inquiry

On the 20th Jan 2010 John Gormley stated in an interview with Pat Kenny and Shane Ross that the Banking Inquiry "... will not be secret, it will be held in private".

Eh, what?

Two days earlier Minister Gormley was insisting that the inquiry be "open" and public as discussed by Stephen Collins of the Irish Times here http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2010/0118/1224262565795.html

From the article ... "GREEN PARTY leader John Gormley is seeking a meeting with Taoiseach Brian Cowen today to discuss serious differences between the coalition parties over whether an inquiry into the banking crisis should take place in secret or in public.

Green Party Ministers are on a collision course with their coalition partners at tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting if Fianna Fáil Ministers insist the inquiry should be held in private, as reports at the weekend suggested."

So what happened to change Minister Gormley and the Greens minds between the 18th and the 20th Jan 2010?

The current "private, not secret" inquiry will be a useless waste of time and money. This is what an Irish Times editorial says on 23rd Jan 2010 http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2010/0123/1224262925294.html

"The Government’s proposal for a private inquiry is a wholly inadequate response to a national banking failure that has destabilised the economy and damaged the lives, jobs and welfare of so many people. The process fails to ensure public accountability from those most responsible. Investigations conducted in private, however well handled, will neither command public trust nor help restore domestic and international confidence in bankers and the banking system."