Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 30 June 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach

General Banking Matters: AIB

Dr. Colin Hunt:

We are very conscious of the fact that we are an all-island bank and that we have customers the length and breadth of the country. We have a different status in Northern Ireland from our status in the Republic. In the Republic we are a pillar bank and have a very significant market share. We cater for about 40% of individual customers living in the South. Businesses in the South have their primary bank accounts with us. The situation in Northern Ireland is somewhat different. It is a very competitive banking landscape. I think there are 11 retail banks operating in Northern Ireland, and we are not one of the most significant entities up there. In fact, we are probably more like a challenger bank than a pillar bank in the North. A number of years ago we went through a very significant restructure which was designed to underpin the efficiency of the operation up there and to allow us to enjoy a reasonable return on the capital we deploy in that part of the island. We continue to keep our physical locations under review. We do not have any announcements to make in that regard at this point in time but we are very committed to having a full-service presence across Northern Ireland.

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