Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 27 February 2024
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach
General Scheme of the Access to Cash Bill 2024: Discussion
Mr. Brian Hayes:
It is very cyclical. We are going through significant profitability this year or, rather, last year, given the reports that will come out from the pillar banks. Banking is a cyclical operation, however,. Without profitability, there is no capital. Capital and profitability are two sides of the same coin. Without capital, you cannot lend, and without lending, there is no investment. The essence of profitability is, effectively, organic capital. What is critical is to take a number of years, rather than one year. The reason that profitability is back, thankfully, in the banking sector now is because of the higher ECB rates.
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