Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform
Draft Heads of Central Bank Bill 2014: Department of Finance
4:15 pm
Mr. Enda Newton:
It is worth stating that the objective here is potentially the promotion of competition. If one buys a platform, one buys intellectual property and other assets that enable one to carry out a business, which, I am sure, any potential acquirer would intend to grow. There are options as to whether any particular acquirer acquires mortgages and matching deposits. I suppose it is not a forgone conclusion that any particular acquirer would acquire any mortgages or deposits. This is a measure that is intended to promote competition and competition, necessarily, from an acquirer's perspective, involves the growing of one's business. It would not necessarily attract the type of entities to which Deputy Donnelly referred.