Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms McDonagh and Mr. Kelly for joining us this afternoon. This meeting is a welcome opportunity. I will try to avoid repeating questions that have already been asked. I will begin by following up on a set of questions Deputy Doherty asked concerning mortgages for people with underlying conditions. I have a concern because it has been reported and, indeed, denied by the Bank of Ireland and other banks that applicants for mortgages have been either refused a mortgage or have been unable to draw down their mortgages because their employers are participating in the employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS. I appreciate that the claim has been denied by Bank of Ireland and that these matters are correctly dealt with on a case-by-case basis, an approach the Minister for Finance has encouraged. How many mortgages have been approved by Bank of Ireland in the past 12 months and how many of those have been drawn down? How do those figures compare with the previous 12 months, taking Covid into consideration? Given that mortgage brokers have stated this is happening and the banks are denying it, what is the truth of the matter?