John McFall, who chairs the Westminster Treasury Select committee, led a session of the committee at the Assembly where he grilled politicians on whether enough was being done to solve the crisis.

Mr McFall also met Presbyterian Church moderator Dr Stafford Carson and heard from savers who may lose their life savings because of the collapse of the society, which was not covered by the government savings guarantee brought in as a result of the financial crisis.

With the society now under administration, a bank is being sought to take it over and Stormont ministers are lobbying central Government to help its customers.

Mr McFall, quizzing Assembly ministers Arlene Foster and Sammy Wilson, asked if the political will existed to solve the problem as quickly as possible.

"Where is the political will in this?" he said.

"There should be a political will between Westminster and yourselves to try and fill this gap, to give reassurance to banks or others to come in to get this over with, rather than what some people would say is a pass-the-parcel exercise at the moment.

"There is a feeling from people that they have been forgotten about. This matter is going on for months and months and months."