Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will not be emotive and suggest that these charges are just another way of bailing out banks. If one takes a middle ground position that banks have to operate a sustainable business model, albeit in an area in which there is competition, the process is that the bank writes to the Central Bank with a proposal for the introduction of a charge. A decision has been made in 11 such cases to grant permission either partially, provisionally or in full for such charges. How many applications for such charges were refused?