Dr. Colin Hunt:

It is fair to say that the bank had a positive performance in the first six months of the year. Equally, it is fair to say that we are collectively peering into a period of great uncertainty that lies ahead. The great thing is that, on foot of the work that we have done, working with our customers in many instances over the course of the past number of years, we are in a strong position. The people of this country know full well, because they have experienced it, the consequences of one of the pillar banks being in a weak position. We are in a very strong position as we go into this period of uncertainty and we stand ready to support our customers during this period of uncertainty.

We will evaluate every official interest rate increase emanating from the European Central Bank on a case-by-case basis. We will evaluate it in terms of deposit rates and borrowing rates. I am not going to, because I cannot, give any indication today as to what decision we will ultimately make because we have to go through governance and that has to be communicated in a particular way.

However, I am deeply conscious of the fact that we are looking into a period of uncertainty - and that everybody in the country is impacted - and of the way the world is impacted by that uncertainty and vulnerability.