Mr. Sean Farrell:

We have been planning that particular proposition for quite some time as a response to the current challenge that has been there through the course of the year. Linked, in a way, to Senator Paul Daly's question about the outlook for the remainder of this year and next year, we think there will be some costs in the system this year that a farmer will not be able to repay in the current year, which is why we are encouraging farmers to look at putting that out over a period of up to three years to support their cashflow. That does not mean that they are not viable but that in the current year, they have challenges in meeting all their commitments, and that is our way to try to help support their cashflow in that period.

On the questions about stocking loans, it is typically only at this time of year that we start to see significant numbers of winter finishers coming to us to buy those animals that they will go to feed or of farmers going to buy weanlings that they will keep for the back end of the year. It is too early for us to tell as yet what impact that will have on our annual stocking loans but from now on, we certainly will start to see those applications coming to us. To date, we have not seen any significant change in application levels.

With regard to the queries about default, it is linked to my earlier point. It relates to helping and supporting customers so they do not go into default as a result of this year, and that we support them over a number of years if we need to deal with the additional cost.

Deputy Penrose made a point about overdraft rates. The overall average amount of overdraft as a percentage of a farmer's overall debt level in the Bank of Ireland is very low. While it is more expensive, it is also more flexible, and it attaches a premium with regard to pricing from that perspective. The other point I will address, while Mr. Butler might address the overall branch structure and our staffing, is refinancing of debt from other institutions, whether vulture funds or anyone else. While we will need all customers to be able to show they can afford the loans they are seeking, be they new loans, restructuring of existing loans or taking over loans from another institution, we certainly are in the business of doing that as long as we can prove repayment capacity and that the risk is acceptable at whatever amount of borrowing is proposed. Hopefully that addresses the queries and Mr. Butler might address the overall structure and our staffing levels.