Mr. Dick Spring:

I do not wish to repeat what Dr. Somers has said. I believe the chief executive may have explained the broad forbearance being applied to people by the bank. Our short term forbearance includes interest only repayments, reduced payments, payments holidays, arrears capitalisation or deferred interest. The bank's long term forbearance strategy includes term extension, interest rate reduction, split mortgages, interest rate only payments, reduced payments or a combination. There is also then the ultimate resolution treatment which includes voluntary sale, trade down or mortgage to rent. In the case of Allied Irish Bank, repossessions have been on an exceptional basis only. A small number of its repossessions have been voluntary, with people simply wishing to get out of their homes.