John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want the legislation the Department is proposing to allow for greater exposure of wrongdoing, if necessary, without the matter being complicated in any way.

That brings me to the comment on regulation being beyond recognition. Perhaps that is so, but the banks' behaviour is still the same. They have not changed beyond recognition. I bring that matter to the attention of the officials as they work on the Central Bank (Amendment) Bill. From the committee's discussion on individual cases and the behaviour of banks, it is clear that they still do not give a damn about how and why they pursue people. They do not make sufficient effort to seek a resolution in each case. Now they are taking steps to offload loans without drilling down into them. We have heard regular complaints from individual customers that, rather than it being a case of them not contacting their bank, it is the banks that are not engaging with them.

That is truly amazing given all the concentration that this committee and others have applied to bringing about resolutions. The regulation is there and it is the working of that regulation that will count.