Sinn Féin is to quiz the Taoiseach in the Dáil later over Enda Kenny's claims he was told to be ready to deploy the army to guard banks and ATMs.

Mr Kenny claimed at a conference in Madrid last month that the Central Bank governor, Patrick Honohan, told him to prepare to deploy the army if the euro collapsed.

He has today insisted the dispute around whether the army would have to guard Ireland's ATMs has now been "put to bed" after clarifications from Mr Honhan and former Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore. The Taoiseach added that he made no apologies for overseeing contingency plans to deal with a sudden change of currency.

Pearse Doherty has written to the chairman of the Banking Inquiry requesting clarification from Enda Kenny and Professor Patrick Honohan.

He says Mr Kenny needs to say why he did not reveal this to the banking inquiry.

"Now we learn after spending all this money and writing a final report that the Taoiseach's walking about both this city and European cities saying we were within 48 hours of seeing the collapse of the euro and the army being deployed on the street" he said.

"I think it's an affront to the Banking Inquiry that the Taoiseach didn't impart that information to the inquiry itself, or if it's basically one of his other tall tales then he needs to clarify that" he added.

Mr Doherty this evening told the Right Hook that he believes the story is “another one of the tall tales of Enda Kenny," and that the Taoiseach owes the Irish public clarity on if he was "spoofing" or if the Euro was indeed just days from collapse.

“I think the Irish public deserve and answer as to whether he was spoofing in relation to that story," he said.

"Or if there is a grain of truth in that story and that the ECB actually were so concerned about the breakup of the Euro in 2012 that they were informing Prime Ministers of Taoiseachs across the Euro zone to prepare the contingency plans."