Ms Elizabeth Arnett:

Photographic identification is more of a requirement to open an account so that is more of an issue for the other banks. A lot of work has been done within Banking and Payments Federation Ireland, BPFI, and the other banks to ensure it is practical to bypass rigid requirements while staying within the strict guidelines around knowing your customer, KYC, and all of that. BPFI recently issued a guide for vulnerable customers in which these types of issues have been addressed. Where possible, a very practical approach is being taken. However, there are some fundamental and underlying issues that require a very close eye to ensure the protection of customers.