Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Senator Hayden and Threshold were most concerned that this was the policy and that people who had paid their rent to a bankrupt landlord faced eviction. I am pleased to hear that reassurance.

There is a problem with the kind of lending book described. I appreciate that the present management team is trying to deal with it and thank the chief executive for his remarks, but it comes after the ICI debacle in the 1980s, the offshore accounts, not declaring for DIRT and the pensions in the Caribbean. This is the fourth time around for AIB to prove finally it is an organisation in which the public should have confidence. The record is a disaster. That is why taxpayers in this country are absolutely ground down by having to pay for the inefficiencies of the banking system. I hope what Mr. Duffy said about never repeating that irresponsible pattern of lending in the case studies holds. I will be bringing it up with the Chairman when we are back again that people in the bank must pay a penalty for that kind of conduct. Some of the loans described were grossly irresponsible and I am pleased to hear it will not happen again. I thank the Chairman and our visitors.