Dr. Anne Finnegan:

As regards AIB, the proportion of farmers impacted by long-term financial difficulty is relatively small, both in respect of the sector as a whole and relative to other SME sectors. Our focus is on restructuring and protecting viable farm businesses and the majority of those farmers who find themselves in long-term financial difficulty have now been restructured. Our emphasis is on protecting the family home, where possible, and we encourage all the customers who have not engaged with us to date to talk to their bank, whichever it is, to work towards a consensual solution. We have met with the IFA and we work hand in glove with it in this area.