Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 28 May 2015
Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis
Nexus Phase
Mr. Patrick Neary:
Certainly, the regulation was one aspect of this. I mean, I think there were probably other influences in the market as well. You know, there's two elements to what you are saying there, Chairman. First of all, there's the credential element, and then there's the consumer choice element. And I know an erstwhile colleague, the consumer director will be in talking to you in a couple of weeks and I think she'll be able to elaborate very well on the consumer dimension. In relation to the prudential dimension, the requirement was imposed that for new mortgages, they should be stress tested at 2.75% above the ECB rate for affordability purposes. So that was the prudential measure that was put in and also the increased risk rating was put in to increase the capital buffer. But the consumer dimension ... I mean, the former consumer director when she comes in, I think, will be far better, more eloquent at explaining the attitude of the authority to that.
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