Mr. Brendan O'Connor:

At the last meeting at which we appeared before the joint committee, I believe referred to a national consumer advocates group, like in the United Kingdom. Like a step change or a pay plan, that is a critical piece in respect of moving on for the holistic treatment of both mortgage and personal debt. Until recently, we have been involved in a pilot programme that was sponsored by the Central Bank but it now appears this will not get off the ground. There are talks under way among a number of banks in the industry precisely along the lines mentioned by the Senator. I believe AIB would have to be part of the solution because I cannot see how it could be economic for someone to take on the set-up costs and so on. Ultimately, however, it would benefit both AIB and the consumer and I believe it is the key to unlocking the personal debt issue.