Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach
General Banking Issues: Discussion
Mr. Brian Hayes:
The bigger part of our announcement recently was not so much towards that group that could switch but towards that group of 35,000 who are in an ARA. They have stuck to the terms. There is a lot of misunderstanding about non-performing loans. The definition of a non-performing loan is one that has not been paid for 90 days. However, if a person comes to an ARA with a credit servicing firm and they stick to that arrangement and come out the other side of it, the loan is performing again. That is a really important message we need to send to the public. Just because a person has been in an ARA does not mean that at all stages in the future they can never switch. We have said that we are looking for a two-year clean history, full capital and interest. There are other business-as-usual requirements as well. The importance of the announcement we made on behalf of our lenders was that we are open to switching people as they get through their ARAs in circumstances where they stick to the agreement. I would point out that people are sticking to those payments in 85% of arrangements that have been entered into.
No comments