Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Does Mr. Masding think the response of his bank and his response as its CEO are respectful and caring of that individual who, for 19 years, through very hard times, continued to meet every single repayment? In the last year she fell on hard times, entered into a restructuring arrangement with the bank, the terms of which she met for six months. The bank then told her that it was selling off her mortgage and that she had to pay the outstanding amount in full within two months if she wanted to prevent that from happening, despite only being €1,800 in arrears. How can Mr. Masding say this in all sincerity? He can dress it up as a non-performing loan and all the rest, but AIB is not doing what Permanent TSB is doing; it is not selling family homes. Bank of Ireland is also not doing what it is doing and they have the exact same regulator, deal with the exact same ECB and have the exact same definition of non-performing loans. However, what Permanent TSB has done and is doing to thousands of families is causing concern.

Mr. Masding can blame others for making inflammatory statements, but let me tell him this. The most inflammatory statement the individuals in question received was in the letter received from the bank informing them that it had turned its back on them and was selling off their mortgages. Will Mr. Masding withdraw his comment that the bank is dealing with them in a caring and respectful manner because it is not? It is only looking after itself, as an institution. If he was customer focused, he would have read the letter from the woman mentioned. He would understand the trauma she is going through in her personal life. He would have looked to see that there were arrears of €1,800 and acknowledged that for 19 years, ten in a period of deep austerity, the family met everything the bank had put in front of them. He would not now be turning his back on her and her family and selling the mortgage. That is just one case.

We can pull out case files over and over again to show that what Permanent TSB is doing is wrong. No other bank is doing what it is doing. It is was forced by this committee and others to deal with the issue of split mortgages, and the representatives come in as if the bank has done a great job and stripped out this and that. Its original intention, however, was to put split mortgages in. How many of the 7,400 owner-occupiers, that is, people in family homes, are meeting their restructuring arrangements or the original terms of their agreement with the bank?