Mr. Shane O'Sullivan:

We stated earlier - I note Senator Hayden had to leave the committee for a period - that there are different categories of customer but the broad catch-all is that for customers to be deemed co-operative there must be meaningful engagement. There are levels of non-engagement and they start at the point where the customer will not answer the phone or the door, if one provided customer notice of a willingness to meet at his or her property. Beyond that, there are those who will answer the phone or the door who will agree to come meet at the branch in a week or two who, subsequently, do not turn up in the branch, and they repeatedly do that. They engage every time, agree an appointment but, subsequently, do not turn up. Then there are those who will come to the branch and make a commitment that they will provide the substance of the information that they have provided, such as a P60 or P45, utility bills or whatever it might be, and yet will never submit that information so that the SFS cannot progress. Then there are those who will provide the documentation and will make a contribution towards their arrears, but, unfortunately, the contribution will be negligible in the bigger picture. Broadly, that is the definition of those who are non-co-operating.

There are difficulties in separations but, ultimately, the two borrowers together made a commitment on a mortgage or whatever the lending might be. I can empathise and understand that separations can be bitter but, ultimately, there is an obligation on whoever's name is on the mortgage deed to honour their obligations to us. We look to work with both parties, if there are two parties on the deed.