Mr. Bernard Byrne:

Having regard to any particular issues that anyone has, we do not promise any treatment but we are always available to ensure that we check that we are applying the right treatment in respect of those. If there are any issues that anyone has at any point in time, we always have review and appeals processes to do that. Please feel free to do that. It is important to point out the number of mechanisms that are in place to help people, whether it is a MABS solution, the IHMO or some other solution. They are available and we engage as actively as we possibly can with them. We do not benefit and it is not helpful to us in terms to have a legal process given how long it takes where repossessions go through.

The Chairman made an opening comment, which I understand, around whether there is something else that can happen when people have gone through everything they can. The reality is that in the majority of cases that end up in legal, people have gone through nothing because they have not engaged with us. As Mr. O'Keeffe mentioned, the 2,800 cases sitting in court are there because there has been zero engagement. Yet, when we finally get up into a legal process, 1,600, or the majority of those cases, actually begin to engage. We are dealing with a complex situation. There are always going to be cases where situations are misunderstood by us. We have made mistakes and if there are any of those, please tell us. We will see whether we are doing the right thing or the wrong thing. However, if people do not engage with us and are not fully involved or participating or using one of the agencies that exist to engage with us if they find engagement with the bank too difficult, it is going to be tricky for us to progress.