Mr. Ciarán Coyle:

I was appointed recently to the role of running the retail bank. This is my 11th working day in the job. I am from rural Ireland and I absolutely appreciate the Senator's point. Equally, we have to get the balance right. I am coming into the job new and I need to look at our 88 branch network, the right distribution model and how it works. We are also seeing a change in behaviour. The committee would accept that in terms of the volume of transactions done digitally, etc. I do not say that as a simple throwaway to the realities in rural Ireland. We are also looking at our branch network and recognise it as an important asset for us. Our staff do a brilliant job in it, day in and day out, serving our customers. The general trend is that our branches are moving away from being transactional outlets to outlets which are actually more focused on helping people with moments in their life which matter, such as mortgages or more complicated scenarios. As a consequence, in tandem, we must invest in the digital challenge to allow people to apply for loans online if they wish.