Mr. Brian Hayes:

I noted the Central Bank report. Looking at the report, the data the Central Bank was taking it from predated the information that the members gave the committee. I suspect that is for a number of reasons. The banks routinely look at the waiting times involved. As I understand it, most of the data set, and I cannot recall the exact date, was around the time when those call centres, like every other call centre in the country, were affected by staff who were out because of the Covid situation or who were affected by the disease itself. I think the Deputy is referring to data that are somewhat historical vis-à-visthe data in the questionnaire that came back to the committee.

That said, we have a huge job to do here. I heard the Deputy say earlier that digital is one thing, but call waiting time is another. We are in this a month at this stage. There is a massive ramping up of resources now, either through deployment within the banks or new recruits, and I believe the Deputy will see those waiting times come down, as he has in terms of the data back from the bank. The bank is also doing a survey later this year, so it will be a matter for it to describe the waiting times to the Deputy and the public at that stage. However, we have to do better.