Kieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The question I am asking is if Ulster Bank has looked at the Brexit loan scheme, because it is effectively a conduit to get the scheme out. Are there aspects of the scheme that the witnesses would like to see changed, or that are not working? Is it tied into taking on extra staff, or is there a reason the uptake is so low? We are being told there are serious concerns around Brexit and being Brexit-ready.

Ms Howard was in the UK prior to coming to Ireland, and I would like to get her perspective in terms of what differences she sees in the Irish and UK landscapes. Where does she see the differences in exposures on Brexit, and how does she feel we are prepared as a country in terms of business and across spectrums? She brings an intellectual knowledge of what is happening on the ground in the UK with banking and business over the Irish Sea.

There are a number of aspects to my question, namely, whether the loan scheme, as structured, is the problem, Ms Howard's perspective on that, because she is looking at it, and a mark review on where she sees Ireland vis-à-visthe UK in terms of the landscape and the Brexit, financial, and banking implications thereof. I would like to hear her overall perspective as the head of one of the four main banks in Ireland.