Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have reported stuff using the three dots and I get a message back saying it does not violate blah, blah, blah. This is what Bank of Ireland told this committee:

Like most users, when the bank identifies malicious content, we report this to the social media companies through the standard reporting mechanisms such as their online reporting forms or the report button on social media posts, with the exception of LinkedIn. There is no specific mechanism or process in place to share information or intelligence with social media companies aside from these standard reporting processes.

Let us not take Bank of Ireland's word for it. Let us look and see what AIB told us. It stated:

In line with other industry peers, we have been unable to establish direct contact with the various companies to discuss the challenges. It should also be noted that social media companies receive income from the aforementioned fraud education and awareness programmes and from the criminals for paid ads hosting fraudulent websites. Establishing direct contact with social media companies has proved to be difficult as social media companies do not engage at industry level or publish their fraud team members' contact details. They utilise general email boxes. The report ad function that is in place for individuals is the same process that is utilised by organisations, including AIB and other financial institutions.

It went on to say:

When the bank proactively reports cases, it is normal to receive a standard acknowledgement saying 'The report does not breach our community safety standards'. No feedback is ever received from the companies on the background to or progress on their investigations, if any.

That is two of Ireland's biggest financial institutions. Mr. Milton is just after telling me he is alarmed at the figure in Britain of 61% and he would like to get under the bonnet and have a better understanding from the financial institutions, yet the two biggest banks in the country have no more access to the witnesses' platforms than me or any other person in this State, despite the fact that they are getting dozens and dozens of customers contacting them on a daily basis about being scammed. I just find that incredible. I am not challenging them personally or anything. I am talking about a company, a company that is very profitable.

Nobody wants to see people getting scammed - we will start at that point - but this is just unbelievable. I asked for this committee hearing to take place to try to at least get this outcome, so that there is direct communication and understanding between social media companies and the banks and so that when a bank recognises or identifies fraudulent activity, there is somebody to talk to, an email can be sent, not to a general email inbox, and that action will be taken. Is that too much to ask?