Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 4 September 2013
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform
Overview of Financial Sector: Discussion with Ulster Bank
2:35 pm
Mr. Stephen Bell:
To clarify that point, there has been some lack of certainty around definitions. What we did not wish to do was to have a public discussion about whether we had met a target with the Central Bank in the full glare of publicity because there are differences of interpretations about what is a long-term appropriate payment arrangement. The Chairman made some very good points on that matter earlier. Consequently, we chose to ensure the targets we declared were correct and could not be challenged, in order that we could do what we committed to do. Whatever our views may be of targets, we committed to be part of the regime and that is what we are doing. However, it is not appropriate and we would not confuse hitting the target with doing the right thing for customers. The two, to some extent, are slightly different debates with slightly different angles to them.
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