Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I hear Mr. Johnson's point very clearly on the classification of the approved housing bodies and how that has potentially torpedoed what was on offer six years ago and should have happened many years ago. That is why I talk about the frustration about the length of time being taken. That was out of the hands of the credit union movement. Mr. Johnson mentioned that he thought the best solution was for the credit union movement to become a lender as opposed to an investor. Will he explain to the committee who exactly he was talking about when he mentioned lending as opposed to investing? I ask him to clarify whether he was just speaking about people who want to purchase homes.

Ms O'Connor spoke of a sandbox-type of regulatory system which would help to serve the atypical customer. Will she let us know a little about that and has there been engagement with the Central Bank on that proposal?

On the public banking model and what the report suggests, I agree everyone needs to get around the table, and the sooner that forum is convened, the better. I hope it is done with genuine motivation. The Sparkasse proposal was always pitched to support small and medium enterprises. The Government's report suggests perhaps a narrower focus and finding a niche or a gap in the market would be more appropriate. Has that been considered or would it be something that is perhaps appropriate for the forum to consider? I would like the witnesses' views on that.