Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 8 November 2018
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach
European Monetary Policy: Exchange of Views with Mr. Mario Draghi
3:10 pm
Mr. Mario Draghi:
I am coming to that. I am sorry I am taking so much time. The Irish economy's performance is strong from all viewpoints - growth, employment, consumption and investment, and even housing is now rebounding. There are two sets of risks. One we have just discussed and the other is overheating. It would not be the first time. There are some legacy vulnerabilities, especially the non-performing loans.
What to do? First, rebuild fiscal buffers, and this is a good time because things are going well. Second, take macroprudential action. Here, the committee members know the Irish authority, the Central Bank of Ireland, is one of the most active in the macroprudential area in the whole EU. In terms of monitoring, my advice is to watch debt, both public and especially private debt. Again, action to this extent has been undertaken, for example, loan to income, loan to service values, loan to capital ratios and the counter-cyclical capital buffer. All macroprudential actions that have been undertaken in the past are to address these risks.
I am taking too long to answer. My apologies.
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