Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There are certainly no shrinking violets in this committee. Deputy Durkan and all the other members face these issues regularly on behalf of their constituents. Given the legal framework we now have in place and the change that has happened in our banking sector, I believe that sensitive and vulnerable issues are dealt with in a fair way in many cases. I acknowledge that there are also a number of cases where people in difficulty, on many occasions not due to anything they have done, are not happy with the way they are treated or the response to the situation. That is why the Central Bank, Ombudsman and Oireachtas can all play a role in those situations.

During Covid, we have seen many individuals and small businesses come under huge strain as a result of something that was wildly beyond their control and in which they played no part. I believe that in the majority of cases our banks dealt with that in a fair and responsible way. That was aided and abetted by changes made by the regulator during the Covid period and measures taken by the Government. I believe the crisis was dealt with fairly and well in many case.