Alan Farrell (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Thank you. My initial remarks are based on personal experience of constituents and the unwillingness of both the public and the banks to engage with mortgage holders in distress. Public representatives like myself and others have had to try to engage with the banks on their behalf. I have had to do this twice in four years and have done so reluctantly. I should not have to do that. The banks should be the ones knocking politely on doors and asking if they can talk about the issue. They need to get to that level of a personal conversation. No doubt, across the membership of this committee alone, we could provide hundreds of examples of cases where the banks are failing in this regard.

I was interested in Mr. O'Connor's remarks about the awareness campaign ISI is launching and the budget set aside for that. It is good to know that is happening. Target marketing is important. Like politicians, the ISI will target its market to draw the attention of the public to it. I am interested in hearing how it proposes to do that. Regarding the level of engagement the banks are being cajoled into, I am interested in hearing the views of the ISI on the removal of the veto.