Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I accept the Minister has no role in respect of the commercial decisions of AIB. He does, though, have a responsibility, as the shareholder on behalf of the Irish people, in respect of shaping the culture in that bank. I agree with him regarding the management. We know, however, that the directors have a role in this regard as well, particularly when they are aware, as they would have been for years, that there has been an issue within the bank concerning tracker mortgages. I refer to the findings of the Central Bank, particularly those concerning recent years, in respect of AIB having failed to apply the principle of stop the harm and having continued to pursue individuals. Legal notices were issued for the repossession of those people's homes, despite the tracker mortgage examination finding that these individuals were within its scope. Two individuals lost their family homes as a result of this harm continuing. In that context, then, it is appropriate to find out - and I do not know the answer here either way and I do not want to cast aspersions - whether the current directors were involved during that period. What efforts, and I am sure there have been efforts, were taken to ensure that the breaches of the regulations that were plentiful and continued until eight weeks ago were halted by AIB? I asked the question earlier of how we can change the culture in the banks. This is a context where the Minister has a role in appointing the directors of the bank.

We will just give them a clean bill of health. The first thing the Minister needs to do is ascertain in detail the role the directors - in the years since their appointment - played in trying to ensure that what happened in the bank did not actually happen. We know that it did happen. These homes were repossessed in recent years. The regulations continued to be breached up until recent times.

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