Ms Francesca McDonagh:

It is not a reversal. I have listened to feedback. Since being here I have spent time on the front line listening to feedback from customers and our colleagues. I have listened to many calls with the team in our contact centres. I have read complaints and about concerns our customers and stakeholders may have and I am always looking for ways to improve the service we offer and support the growth of Bank of Ireland's customer satisfaction levels and business. We saw an opportunity in some branches that did not offer a full service and in which one might have had access to the counter only in the morning and there was demand for it in the afternoon. We have expanded that service in response to customer feedback. We work in a dynamic environment and customers' behaviour changes, but people still want value and some of the full service elements. Hence we have increased the number of branches from 61 to 164, an increase of 160% , which is good evidence of our commitment to deliver a better service.