Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses. I will focus on three elements, namely, the performing loan book, Priory Hall and Bank of Ireland's branch consolidation or opening of new branches. In a point I also raised yesterday regarding the performing loan book, I note Bank of Ireland's statement that 89% of loans are performing. In a way, that tells a lie because many people in that category are struggling each month to pay their mortgage. As I stated yesterday, they probably are feeding the mortgage before feeding their children. Do the witnesses have to hand analysis as to how anyone in that performing book may dip into arrears or be part of Bank of Ireland's arrears problem in the coming years? In particular, I am thinking about variable interest rates and note Bank of Ireland increased its variable interest rate by 0.5% last year. There is a feeling among mortgage holders that those who are on variable interest rates are being played off against those who are on tracker rates. What are Bank of Ireland's projections over perhaps five years, as to how it will protect those people or ensure those who are "performing" do not dip into arrears? While the bank may consider them to be performing, many of them are struggling.