panel, which provided the regulator with feedback on its charges and policies said the levy on financial institutions for industry funding was ‘'perceived by industry as cumbersome and bureaucratic'’ and had ‘'major concerns with the quality and cost of the services'’ provided to the regulator by the Central Bank. They did not give their consumer panel a copy of the report of the working group set up following the collapse of a stockbrokers, where some investors were waiting over 7 years to have their claims processed. When the panel managed to get sight of it, they said it was "extremely deficient" In July 2007, the Comptroller and Auditor General called for an independent review of the inspection process for financial institutions carried out by the Financial Regulator. The Comptroller urged the introduction of clearly defined risk categories for individual areas of financial services, so that the appropriate level of supervision required for each institution can be implemented in line with the risk involved. Transcripts of phone calls by the Financial Regulator's senior staff suggested they gave tacit approval to the illicit movement of deposits involving Irish Life and Permanent plc. "Okay, that's grand, right I think that's everything". The regulator refused to say whether staff might face disciplinary procedures or sanctions if the transcripts were validated and investigated internally. The Financial Regulator knew that Allied Irish Banks were overcharging consumers in FX fees but failed to act for a number of years. They gave a parliamentary inquiry the "false impression" that they were unaware of it. The whistleblower who gave the FR the information was requested to come to a meeting with them but was only invited to withdraw the allegations of wrongdoing and at the same time found himself removed from his position at Allied Irish Banks without any reason given. After his case was highlighted in the media, the FR officially apologised on how the authorities treated him, eight years after alerting them of overcharging. The same whistleblower also sent a report entitled 'Special Investigation Goodbody Stockbrokers – Trading in AIB Shares' to the FR, in which questions were raised about the legality of a device used to trade in AIB shares through offshore locations in blacklisted tax havens Nevis and Vanuatu. No action was taken. The Financial Services Consultative Consumer Panel, which was tasked with monitoring the performance of the Financial Regulator, said that most consumers had