Ms Julie O'Neill:

I hope the members see that anything I do shows enthusiasm and passion for issues I believe in. I had a strong view that the banking system in Ireland got badly broken over recent years and that people should roll up their sleeves and help put it back together. Therefore, somewhat reluctantly, I was convinced that by joining the board of a bank I might be able to make a contribution as a non-banker. As members are aware, there is a strongly improved regulatory environment around banking now and one of the requirements to be a bank director is to step up to the mark and get the appropriate qualifications and expertise to do the job. The reason I mentioned the qualification in this context is because a significant part of that intensive programme deals with corporate governance in a general sense. I hope I will bring what I learned about effective corporate governance with me to my role as Chair of SEAI.