Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am not so sure about that, Chairman. It would be helpful to us, so the question stands. There had to be a cost to either NatWest or Ulster Bank. Who funded it and what was it? That is one question. Second, there was obviously a cost to customers due to disruption of service, closure, trying to meet deadlines and so on and so forth. Third, we all heard about the time we were encouraged to seek alternative services, which we essentially had to do ourselves. Nobody from any of the banks said we have decided to transfer your account, if it necessary and if it is acceptable, to bank X, Y or Z. In that case it could have been done with the press of a button and no more waiting, queuing, asking questions, bills for outstanding issues and so on and so forth. Ulster Bank has been helpful in trying to resolve these but it did not stop the gurus in the system from resurrecting themselves from time to time and attempting to exert their influence. Some of that is going to remain, to put it mildly, in the closure of accounts. Will the customers all get a closing statement on each account?